Snowed
by RallyAli
Summary: Clary and Jace have never really gotten along that well, Jace always making Clary uncomforable with his flirting, and Clary being too shy to even be in the same room as him. While Clary waits for Isabelle to return home causes her to get snowed in with Jace for the week, her and Jace will have to deal with each other for the harsh winter storm.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, it's been a long ass time since I've written anything on here but I thought I'd just let some creativity flow. I have writers block on some other works I have so I thought I'd just try and goof off. Here goes nothing LMAO! This'll probably be decently short but, oh well. Sorry if it sucks.  
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It was beginning of December in New York, snow had begun to fall lightly as Clarissa Fray snuggled herself deeper into her thick winter jacket. The gloves on her hands made her palms sweaty and her fiery red hair twisted even more as the icy breeze tangled in her frizzy locks. The suburbs of New York were actually calm, almost quiet as the snow layered the roads and the sidewalks. It had been snowing for days straight, so much snow that now traffic had ceased because of the inches covering the asphalt. Clary slipped and stumbled a few times from the amount of snow packed, tripping by children forming snowmen as their gloves chunked with icy, adults rushing throught the cold to get into a warm building just like her.

A tickling sensation buzzed in her back pocket; her phone recieving a text. She removed her hand from her pocket, reaching for the device and seeing the familiar name of her friend Isabelle Lightwood illuminated on the screen.

 **I ran to Simon's real quick, let yourself in, Jace is there. I'll be back soon. - Izzy**

Clary sighed as she sent a quick response in acknowledgement. Simon was her best friend since grade school, when Isabelle had moved to New York with her brothers; Alec and Jace, in high school, Simon and her clicked and soon began dating. Clary was happy for them, elated that finally Simon eased up on the childhood crush he had on Clary. Once the family had moved to New York and started attending the same school, Izzy, Clary, and Simon all became quick friends. Alec hung around Izzy until he graduated with his boyfriend Magnus, and Jace seemed to drift himself from his siblings and found different friends.

A knot tied in Clary's stomach as she remembered Jace. It wasn't that her and Jace didn't get along, they just were never close. Jace, the player who seemed to be invinting a new girl over to Isabelle's and his apartment, had never really wanted to get close with Clary and Izzy.

Clary was quiet when he was around, always feeling awkward when he'd flirt with her. He knew how to make her uncomfortable and new what buttons to push.

Once graduating high school, they all seemed to take a GAPP year. Alec was already in his third year of college starting straight from high school, while Isabelle and Jace's parents let them rent out their old apartment before their parents decided to move to a warmer place in Florida since all of their children were flying the nest.

The tall apartment building leered at Clary as she made her way up the icy steps, holding onto the staircase railing as her feet slid, clumps of snow attaching themselves to her cotton gloves as she gripped the snowey metal.

She pulled the door towards her, having some trouble with the amount of buildup of snow at the entrance, but after some effort finally made it through. The old front door slamming behind her, the soft thud of snow falling from the windows blocking the door again. Clary silently prayed that Isabelle wouldn't be long, but even thought she didn't get along with Jace well, Clary wasn't going to wait outside for her friend. Even the main entrance was freezing.

There was no real lobby of the apartment building, there was only the managers home on the bottom floor, a note slapped on the front of his door saying " **Gone for Christmas! Be back after New Years! Call me at...** " which then proceeded with his phone number. to the right of the managers door was the staircase, leading all the way up to the 8th floor winding around the square building, each landing with a door on it with the number painted in white of each floor.

As Clary started up the stairs, passing the third floor and the fourth floor, she began pulling off her hat, gloves, and unbuttoning her jacket as the amount of floors she climbed made her sweat.

Finally, the white painted number 7 greeted her. She stepped through and made her way down the hallway, stopping at door number 705 and twisting the bronze colored doorknob.

A blast of heat envelopped her, a sigh of contenment escaping her lips. Even though she was sweating from climbing up the seven flights of stairs, it was still chilly in the main room.

The apartment was simple, but the decorations were what made it seem more put together than the shabby apartment building really was. Everything was made of dark mahogony. Stepping inside started with the living room, the television next to the door and a big "L" shaped couch across the door on her right. A coffee table between the couch and TV with magazines scattered and a dying succulant that belonged to Izzy, Clary knew that Izzy couldn't keep anything alive. To her left led to the bedrooms, the first room was Jace's, his door was shut but a yellowish light shined through the bottom of the door. A halfwall was what was behind the couch, the kitchen with dark wood and mismatched handles on the cupboards. The kitchen was small but the appliances were updated which what made it look as put together as it did. to the left of the kitchen was a square table, four chairs tucked in the table with a small round chandelier hanging above it. The bedroom at the far wall next to the kitchen was Isabelle's room, the door slightly open and the decorated white walls sneaking a peek at Clary.

Over against the wall by Jace's room was a small piano, just a simple wooden one, sheet music propped up and music books sat on the top of the piano. All the Lightwoods learned to play the piano, but from what Clary knew, they all had called quits on it after four years. A tall bookshelf with rows of books next to the piano closest to the dining table, a stack of small painting canvas's and blank notepads on the bottom shelf. Clary figured she would attend to those first while she waited for Izzy. She remembered the day Izzy and her bought them, Clary was over enough that Izzy wanted her to feel the apartment was a home away from home, the gesture warmed her heart.

Clary loved Isabelle's place, it had a homey sense to it, the furniture with a dark sense but with a bit of wear in it so it looked like people lived in the place.

Clary hung her winter gear on the rack behind the door as she shut it, kicking off her wet boots next to some pairs of shoes strewn by the door.

Clary looked over as Jace's door opened suddenly, her heart giving a slight squeeze and her stomach knotting as she remembered who she'd be avoiding until Izzy came home.

There, Jace stood in the frame of his open door, a dark green sweater and dark gray sweats hanging low on his hips. His blonde hair messy and curly as he shook his head to get the curls away from his golden eyes. Clary admitted that he was a very attractive guy, but his ego was what set her off. He smiled lazily, a small shadow of facial hair darkened his square jaw, something that Clary saw rarely. Jace was a very clean cut person, he hated living with Izzy only because she always made a mess and he always had to clean up after her; so seeing Jace with a five o'clock shadow was rare to Clary. She assumed he hadn't left the apartment all day since he looked like he had just woken up.

"Well, Hello Clarissa." Jace smirked. His voice was deep, looming at her as she shrugged off her jacket, the shoulder of her oversized sweater falling to expose her pale and freckeld shoulder and collar bone. She flushed.

"I'm just waiting for Izzy." Clary explained. She didn't know why she felt the need to explain herself, but she didn't want to give Jace a reason to hang around her.

"Right, she ran off to see Ratatouille about ten minutes ago. Who _knows_ when she'll be back." Jace winked at Clary and pushed himself away from his door, letting it crack open. Clary could see his bare bedroom walls and the neatness of his room.

Clary wrinkled her nose. She made her way to the couch and plopped down, clicking on the TV to the news. The news reporters surving as background noise for her as she reached for her phone and mindlessly scrolled through her phone. She could hear Jace making himself food in the kitchen.

"She probably should hurry herself if she doesn't want to get snowed in." Jace called from the kitchen, Clary's heart squeezed again at the idea of being trapped... with Jace.

Clary made small conversation, hoping to just keep it light, "Yeah, it's supposed to snow hard in the next hour and just keep snowing the rest of the night."

Jace was suddenly behind her, leaning over the half wall and where the couch was pushed against. Clary jumped and clicked her phone off.

"It's supposed to keep snowing for the rest of the week." He said, winking at her.

Clary swallowed.

She stood, adjusting her oversized sweater. Jace watched her as he pulled out food from the microwave.

"I'm just going to wait for her in her room, did you want the TV on?" Clary asked nervously. Jace's stare was making her uncomfortable. She was in the house with him for all of five minutes and was already making her hands sweat and her cheeks flush.

He walked past her and plopped on the couch, "Yes, please, darling."

Her cheeks heated more and she rolled her eyes.

Clary heard him chuckle softly as she made it to Izzy's room and closed the door behind her. She leaned against the door and sighed in frustration.

Izzy's room was a mess, clothes strewn all about the floor, sewing kits and makeup untidedly covering her desk and nightstands.

Clary scrolled through her phone again as she pushed clothes off of Izzy's bed, Clary in disbelief how Izzy could ever live in such a mess.

 **Please hurry back. - Clary**

Clary noticed the time on her phone, 3:45 pm. She sighed, laying down on the large bounching bed. The buzzing sound of the television from the other room seemed like a lullaby to her, soon realizing that she was falling asleep to it. She was half asleep as she heard the TV turn off and the sound of Jace's shuffling in the living room and soon the soft click of his bedroom door closing behind him.

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 **Yeah. So that's the first one I guess. I don't know, like I said, it's just kinda random thoughts and shit. All characters and all that shit belongs to the author, I don't own anything but my own plot I guess. But it's probably been done. Anyways, I'll probably update again soon. I'm a quick writer and usually when I have an idea I get it all out in one sitting. Review it if you want, it'd be helpful to me to get some feedback on how I write.  
Ta Ta for now.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Yeah I'm back already. I told you I'd update fast af. I'm actually so happy with the amount of reviews and follows this got I actually didn't think anyone would see this already. Well I'll stop with this and get on with the story. Thanks fam 3**

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The buzzing on her cell phone at her ear jolted Clary awake, she hadn't realized that she was tired enough to actually sleep in the pig stye that was Isabelle's room until she realized that the window against the far wall was darkened from the passing day. Disorientingly, Clary shuffled through the bed sheets and pile of pillows searching through her phone.

Finally finding the device, her phone lit up with a missed call from her mother and three texts from Izzy and one from Simon. It was now 7:18, Clary had almost slept a full four hours.

 **Clary something is up! - Isabelle**

 **I can't get out of Simon's apartment! - Isabelle**

 **And I'm not just saying that because we've been fooling around all afternoon. I'm SNOWED IN! THIS IS UNREAL! - Isabelle**

 **Clary, Izzy and me are completely snowed in! Don't try going out in the snow, it's really coming down. - Simon**

Clary shook her head, clicking through her phone until she got to her voicemail. Her mother's soft voice on the other end in the recorded call.

"Clary, it's mom. Listen, I know you went to Izzy's, but you should probably stay there. The whether is too bad to go out anywhere. I've been calling you but I assumed you and Izzy are just busy. Please let me know you're okay. I love you sweetie, stay safe."

Clary sent her mother a quick text, letting her know that Clary was completely safe in the house with Izzy, only lying halfway.

There was the sound of talking outside the door, a low talking from the television, the other was Jace talking. Clary gulped, praying that he wasn't talking to a new girl that had come over to keep him company during the snow storm. She scrambled out of bed, tossing the blankets and pillows out of her way so she could escape easier. The room was freezing. For as long as Clary had known Izzy, Isabelle had always complained about sleeping hot and enjoying the low temperature of her bedroom. The tip of Clary's nose felt cold and her feet feeling frozen.

The bedroom light was still on as Clary thanked herself so that she didn't have to walk in the messy bedroom blindly. Going towards the window, the lavender curtain hiding the dark window. Clary's mouth fell when she pulled back the curtain to reveal outsides conditions.

Clary had suspected everyone was just over exaggerating about the snow, but the amount of snow that had fallen in the last four hours had covered New York in a thick white blanket. It looked almost as plush as Isabelles expensive comforters. White flurries were falling from the sky sideways and in buckets, the streetlamps outside illuminating how much snow was really falling from the sky. Cars parked on the streets were burried all the way to the door handles, doors from other buildings were buried in the same way. Clary watched as a pile of snow fell from a slanted rooftop over one of the main doors, only hiding more of the door.

She gulped again, praying that the front door of Izzy's building may have been lucky, that maybe Clary could try digging her way out.

Staggering over the mess on the floor, she made it to the bedroom door, pulling it open to hear Jace's voice clearer. She was right about the television being on, the news displaying reporters speaking quickly with a tone of urgency.

"No, I haven't checked yet..." Jace paused as Clary came out of the room, looking over at her. His hair was still messy, eyes looking sleepy but a slight panic. He must have taken a nap as well. He looked confused, forgetting that Clary was at the apartment as well.

"Yeah, they're just urging everyone to stay inside..." Jace paused, Clary could hear the low hum of a voice over the phone before Jace spoke again. "She's here, don't worry... No, there's no way anyone could be out there unless they're going to be digging tunnels through the snow..."

Clary began to focus her attention on the TV now, Jace wandering towards the window to look outside.

"We urge everyone to stay in, if you have a fireplace, start it up. Officials say they don't know how long the power will stay on, so begin turning on heaters and warming up the house. Keep all pets inside and make sure anyone you see wandering in the storm to get them inside. It's a harsh storm..."

Clary gulped again, her throat was really feeling dry. She hastily made her way to her winter gear, slipping it on as she hoped for the best.

Jace's voice caught her attention again, "I'm sure it'll be on for... Hold on, I gotta go. Stay inside. Love you." She heard his footsteps coming to her and the sound of his cellphone dropping on the tabel. She turned, his body close to hers, her heart jumping.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked, his hands were on his hips and he reminded Clary of a stern mother, Clary was the child getting in trouble.

"I'm leaving...?" She questioned, as if it weren't obvious enough what she was doing.

Jace gave a short laugh, "You're kidding?"

Clary shook her head as she pulled her hat on.

"You won't be able to get anywhere in this storm." He crossed his arms and raised his brow.

"I'll be fine."

Jace rolled his eyes and reached for her arm, "You won't even be able to get the door open let alone dig your way back to your place." He gave her skinny arms a light squeeze, acknowledging her weak upper body strength. She grimaced.

"It's not that bad..." She started to say. She knew that it actually _was_ that bad, but she didn't want to stay inside with Jace for who knows how long.

"Not that bad? Clary, you can't even see the cars or the buildings!" He threw his hands up in exasperation.

Clary shook her head, "Well what do you suppose I do?"

"Stay here? Where else do you think you're going to go? No, wait, where do you think you're going to be _able_ to go?"

Clary chewed on her lip, "Home, I'm going home."

Another short laugh from Jace, "Good luck even opening the door."

Clary reached for the doorknob and pulled the door open, "I'll get it open, don't underestimate me."

She left the door open, the hallway freezing and pulling Clary in a shock from the temperature change. She immediately wanted to return to the warm living room but proceeded down to the front door anyways. She heard Jace speak but didn't catch what he said as she made her way down the stairs.

She hurried down the steps, silently praying for a miracle.

Finally, she huffed as she leaped off the last step, passing by the managers home and to the exit. The room felt like ice, Clary wondered if there icicles could grow inside if it got cold enough. She heard footsteps trotting down the stairs, turning around quickly to reveal Jace rounding the last set of stairs, still in his sweater and sweatpants, but now wearing a thick coat and boots.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

He jumped from the last step and in front of her, close to her again.

"I had to see this." He laughed, a big goofy grin on his face showing his straight white teeth.

"What?" She was confused.

He laughed again, "I had to see you _try_ to get the door open, but fail miserably."

She frowned, "You love seeing me struggle, don't you."

He shook his finger at her, "I love seeing you be wrong and me being right."

Clary huffed at him, turning back to the door. She placed her gloved hands on the doorknob, taking a deep breath before giving a huge push. She used all of her muscle and leaned her entire body weight into the door. The door didn't even flinch, it was as if she wasn't even breaking a sweat trying to get the door open. She continued slamming into the door, her shoulder starting to ache from the force she put in pushing into the metal door.

She could hear Jace's soft chuckle and turned her head at him sharply.

He was sitting on the steps with his elbows back, a small smile on his lips.

She went back to the door, grunting as she pushed and leaned into the door. She could feel sweeat starting to dot at her forehead under her hat, her hair sticking to the nape of her neck. It wasn't even that she was hot, the room was cold that she could just barely see her breath. She shook the door and groaned in defeat, nervousness and embarrassment rising in her cheeks.

Jace still chuckled, fury rising in Clary's chest now as she turned around, placing her hands on her hips.

"If you think you can do better, by all means, do so." She snapped.

Jace shook his head, the smile on his face growing, "I _don't_ think I can do better. Face it Clary, you're snowed in with me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Twice in one day? Damn, if I'm not the best then I don't know how to be.**

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"C'mon Clary, you'll freeze down here." Jace stood at the first landing of the staircase, his arms tucked to his chest to keep himself warm.

Clary sat on the last steps staring at the door, her arms tucked the same way Jace's were as she shivered from the low temperature of the room. The door hadn't budged, she was completely trapped here with Jace. After a few more comments from him that made fun of her weak stature, she finally gave up. She knew that she would have to go back into the apartment cause she would be too cold, but she was so frustrated.

He took her silence as a response, "You know, you haven't eaten anything in the last four hours, maybe longer, you'll get hungry eventually, need to use a bathroom, need a bed to sleep in. All of that is at your lesiure upstairs."

Clary huffed, a little white cloud escaping her lips. She stood and made her way up the stairs, walking past him and ignoring him. He smiled proudly.

They were both warm after the seven flights of stairs, finally making it to the apartment door, Clary leading as she walked in and took off her snow gear. She shook out her hair, hoping that it would cover a little bit of her pink cheeks. Jace fell to the couch and hitched his leg up, flicking through the channels. Clary looked to the corner by the TV and couch, a small fire furnace had a fire snapping and clicking inside, heat envelopping her as she sat near it. Her fingertips were cold but her hands were clammy from the gloves.

The only thing that was on TV was the news reports, all breaking news about the weather and how bad the storm would be.

"How long is it supposed to last?" Clary said, she scooted away from the fire, her skin starting to tingle from how hot she became.

Jace shrugged, "They said a couple days, it isn't supposed to start raining and melting until Thursday."

Clary groaned, it was only Friday.

"Just think, we're about to get to know each other _so_ well." Jace chimed.

Clary looked back at him and grimaced, he winked at her making her roll her eyes.

"Jace, if you think we're going to get to _know_ each other as well as you'd like to think, you've got another thing coming." Clary stood and went to the kitchen. She looked through the pantry, thankful that they had gone shopping not long ago and all the cupboards were stocked with food. She heard Jace follow her but ignored him as she grabbed a bag of chips.

"How easy you dismiss our love, Clary." He teased.

Clary turned and made a gagging noise, pretending to be throwing up. He frowned as he sat up on the counter.

"Look, I'll leave you alone, you leave me alone. Fair?" She practically begged.

Jace put a finger to his chin and looked up as if he was thinking hard, "Mmmm... No, you're just too fun to be around."

Clary sighed. This was going to be a long storm.

Jace sat on the couch again, flipping through channel after channel, most were news reports, others were actual shows, but nothing that interested Jace. He was looking at his phone more than the TV, smiling at whatever texts he was recieving as his phone dinged.

Clary clicked her phone, the screen lighting up but showing no new notifications. She sat on the floor with a notepad in front of her, a pen in her hand as she doodled mindlessly. She didn't have a real idea of what to draw but she just needed something to keep her mind busy and the time moving.

"You could always draw me, you know." Jace said. Clary looked behind her and saw him staring at her doodled notepad. "I've been told I could be a male model, and if you need, I can undress so you can get _all_ the little details of me." His mouth formed in a flirty half smile, his eyes looking a dark gold.

"Yeah, I bet there are a lot of _little_ details about you." Clary scoffed and went back to doodling, smiling to herself when she saw Jace's smile fall.

"I'm very blessed, thank you."

"Ew, Jace."

He laughed, "C'mon, admit that you've thought about me."

"Only in your fantasy, Jacey." Clary gave him a smug smile.

"A lot of things happen in my fantasy." Jace leered closer to her, their faces were inches from each other. She could smell burnt wood and toothpaste on him, her heart beating erraticaly.

"You're disgusting, keep your thoughts to yourself." Clary put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away.

Jace laughed out loud as Clary stood with her notepad and made her way to the dining table. She plopped on the table and began doodling again.

Again, she listened as Jace walked towards her and sat across from her.

"What do you want?" She grumbled keeping her head down at the paper. Her hand gripped the pen tightly.

"I'm bored." Jace whined. She looked up at him, his elbow on the table and his hand holding his chin as he looked lazily at her.

"I don't care."

"I wanna do something."

Clary set her pen down and linked her hands together, "Why don't you go and try digging through the snow so I can get out of here?"

Jace sighed, his curled hair fluttering, "That's no fun, then I'd have no company."

"I don't know what to tell you Jace, find something to do. You're annoying me." Clary went back to work on her doodles.

"I'm not annoying you, you love when I tease you." Jace tapped at the corner of Clary's paper, she pulled the pad closer to her.

"I hate it when you tease me." She stated.

Jace was quiet for a second, making Clary look at him through her lashes.

"Why?" He asked when she looked at him.

His gold eyes burned in her green ones, curiosity glowing in the orbs.

"What?" She blinked.

"Why do you hate it when I tease you?" He asked.

Clary was taken aback. She couldn't tell if he was just going to continue mocking her or if he actually was curious. It wasn't that he made fun of her in a cruel manner, she understood it was all just joking, but some of the jokes he'd make made her feel uneasy. Especially when it came to experience. She was to herself, never really having a lot of male attention in her life and he knew that. He liked to flirt and tease her because he knew she didn't know how to respond to them. Jace was the hot heart breaker, Clary was the awkward artist.

"I-I don't know..." Clary stuttered.

Jace put his arm down, both arms crossed on the table as he leaned forward.

"Sure you do. Is it because I make you uncomfortable with my incredible looks?" He smiled again.

Clary frowned and looked back at her notepad.

He sighed, "You're no fun, you know that?"

Clary stayed silent.

"You never respond to my jokes."

"It's cause your jokes aren't funny." Clary grumbled.

Jace shifted in his chair, "Sure they are, they're just too intelligent for you."

Clary dropped her pen and straightened her back, "Right, cause flirting with me and talking about sex a lot are ' _intelligent_ ' jokes." Clary pulled her fingers up to put air quotes around the word intelligent.

"I think their funny." Jace picked at his nails.

"You think a lot about yourself." Clary snapped.

He put a hand to his heart and a look of pain on his face, "Ouch, Clarissa. I think a lot about things other than myself."

She laughed mockingly, "Like what?"

He leaned in, his eyes darkening and a small smile tugging on the corner of his mouth.

"Like you." He said, his voice deepend and quiet.

Clary swallowed hard.

Jace just laughed and slid out of the dining chair, his hand on his belly as he made his way back to the sofa. Clary's cheeks burned as her emotions on her face betrayed her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Well, it's still early in the day so I'm probably gonna keep updating. It's only noon, so who knows how many times I'll update this story. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreaciate it. If you have any suggestions, I'd be down to read those.**

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The nap Clary had taken had kept her wide awake even with the glowing red 12:56 am staring her in the face. It hadn't stopped snowing, the snow getting lighter, but still continuing. She had retired to Isabelle's cold room at ten o'clock. She had texted Izzy that she was staying in her room, Izzy agreeing that she had no problem with that. Tangling in the bed sheets, Clary thought about cleaning Izzy's room, but dismissed the thought; it wasn't her stuff to mess with.

Clary wasn't a super neat person like Jace was, but she liked some control in her room. Her thoughts drifted to Jace's neatness, always in awe of how clean he kept things. She remembered the times that Izzy would make a mess in the house and Jace would complain about it, not waiting for her to clean up but taking advantage himeself by tidying things up.

Staring up at the ceiling, her thoughts continued wandering, Jace's comments and close proximities made her heart - even now - beat erratically. She found him attractive, he was a great looking guy, but knowing the amount of girls he used made her feel uneasy. She wondered why he even wasted his time biting his lip at her, but wondered what he actually thought about her.

She rolled until her face was in the pillows, moaning loudly from the lack of sleep she would be getting tonight. Clary shivered and finally gave up. She grabbed at a throw blanket and a pillow, pulling them with her as she left Isabelle's room.

The apartment was dark, the fire still smoking from the red hot pieces of a dying fire. She grabbed more wood that surrounded the fire furnace and shoved more in, poking at the red pieces until the blocks of wood started to catch. The temperature difference between Izzy's room and the whole house itself was astonishing to Clary. Her body already feeling relaxed and sleepy as she snuggled in her makeshift bed on the dark green couch.

She flicked on the TV, keeping the volume low for background noise and as to not wake Jace, his bedroom door shut tight. She grabbed the notepad she had been doodling on earlier and ripped the peice off to start anew.

She didn't think about an image really, just let her hands grip the pen and let the pen take lead before her ideas did.

Clary imagined what Jace looked like asleep, if he had his mouth open slightly, if he had softened his brow lines and if his hair was in his face. Did Jace sleep in a cold room or did he like his room warm like Clary did? She hated thinking about him and knew that she should direct her thoughts somewhere else, but it made her sleepy thinking about Jace sleeping.

Clary blinked, looking at the sketch she had drawn out on the yellowish paper.

It was a drawing of Jace and what she imagined him sleeping. She didn't finish, she had only drawn his face and down to his elbows and ribs. The lines curving sharply to show the sharpness of his jaw line, the long lashes casting shadows on his flat cheekbones, and the curl of his lips in a small "O" shape. She blushed to herself and ripped the page out, crinkling it aggresively and tossing it in the fire.

The sound of the door creaking open made her jump, Jace's door opening slowly as he peered out.

He rubbed his tired eyes and pushed his curling hair out of his eyes.

"What are you doing up?" Jace asked, the only source of light in the room was the small table lamp, the low fire, and the television playing quietly. Shadows casted on his crooked nose and making his hair and eyes look dark.

Clary shifted in her makeshift bed, "I-I couldn't sleep. Izzy's room is ice."

Jace chuckled and made his way over to the couch, plopping down at where her pillow was.

"What are _you_ doing up?" She asked him. Jace's white T-shirt made him look younger, the size of the shirt too big on Jace and hanging down over his hips and his light blue pj pants.

"Couldn't sleep, I took too many naps today." He leaned his head back, relishing in the heat the fire gave him.

Clary sat up more, keeping distance between the two of them. She still held the notepad and pen in her hand and thanked the man upstairs that she had tossed her previous drawing in the fire before Jace saw it.

"What are you drawing?" Jace asked, peeking through his dark eyelashes at her. Clary shifted.

"Um... Nothing in particular." She lied.

"Hm."

Clary shrugged and looked at the TV, her feet were pulled to her chest while she played with the hem of Izzy's pajama pants. They were much too big for Clary, Isabelle being much taller and having perfect curves while Clary was flat and short. She envied Isabelle and her beautiful body.

Jace stood then and made his way to the kitchen, Clary watching him as he went. She listened as he rummaged through glasses and heard a pop.

"Do you want some wine? It's supposed to help you sleep." Jace asked.

Clary looked behind her, looking at Jace holding up a bottle of pink wine and two glasses. It looked innocent enough, so Clary nodded her head.

Jace smiled and poured the pink liquid in the glasses.

He made his way back, handing her a glass. Clary felt so awkward with Jace around. Small talk was not her forte, something she never was good at. And now she was forced to small talk for the next few days with someone she didn't really get along with.

She grabbed the glass, their fingertips brushing and giving Clary a jolt through her veins as she pulled the glass and her hand away from Jace's rough fingers. She looked down and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.

"You blush a lot." Jace said a matter-of-fact like.

"Sorry..." Clary took a sip of her wine, the dry sweetness tickling her tongue.

He looked at her, his brows pulling down over his eyes.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked.

Clary didn't really know why she had apologized, it was just a natural reaction.

She shrugged. He leaned back and took a sip of the wine, "Well you don't need to be sorry, it's cute."

Clary blushed again.

He looked at her and gave her a lazy smile. She watched as he reached up and touched her pink cheek. His fingers were hard but were smooth, hot against her already burning skin.

Clary took a big gulp of her wine and he chuckled.

"I hope you're not hitting on me." She eyed Jace.

He smiled wider, his white teeth showing, "I always hit on you."

"Not seriously." Clary took another sip of her wine. She could feel the warm giggly feeling in the pit of her stomach, small talk becoming easier as she could feel liquid courage already making her tipsy. She was a lightweight, and wine always hit her so fast.

"How would you know?" He leaned towards her, the goofy smile still on his face.

"I just know."

He looked at her, a thoughtful look on his face before he hung his arm at the back of the couch, his fingers almost touching her shoulder closest to him.

"Have you ever been hit on, Clarissa?" He asked. Clary looked at him and saw that though he had his head tilted back for the wine to slide into his mouth, he looked sideways at her.

She shifted, "Besides you?"

He chuckled, "Yes, besides me."

She shook her head.

"No?" Jace looked astonished.

"You act like it's impossible that I've never been hit on by anyone besides you." She giggled, the wine was taking effect nicely and she could feel her body get heavier.

He shrugged, "You're a stunning girl, I'm surprised that you _aren't_ hit on by more men."

She flushed. No one called her stunning besides Izzy and her mother. Luke called her stunning when she had dressed up for prom, but did any of that really count?

A look came across Jace's face and he sat up, "Is that why you have such a hard time responding to me?" He grinned.

"No!" Clary defended herself, her voice cracking and betraying her half lie.

"No need to get defensive, it's precious." The grin stayed on Jace's face.

Clary knocked her head back as she finished her glass of wine. She didn't realize how full Jace had filled it until she finished it feeling warm and giggly.

Clary laid down, her head close to Jace's legs. He sat at the corner and she laid down the side as she focused her attention to the TV.

"Told you it'd make you sleepy." He said quietly.

She rolled her eyes, "Of course it did, but I'm also trying not to get wasted with you."

"Why? Cause you'd try taking advantage of me?" He finished his glass and set it down on the coffee table next to hers, even his glass looked cleaner.

Clary looked at him as he snuggled lower, his head close to hers. She immediately felt nervous, the alcohol and butterflies in her stomach fluttering.

"If anything, _you'd_ be the one taking advantage of me." She snapped. "Are you sleeping here?"

Jace shrugged as he pulled the thin throw blanket hanging on the back of the couch onto him, "Maybe."

"What's wrong with your bed?"

He looked at her, sticking his pink bottom lip out at her in a plea, "It's too lonely."

Clary rolled her eyes and scoffed, throwing herself back down on her pillow.

"You're astonishing, Jace." She mumbled.

"I sure aim to be." She could hear the smile in his voice as she let the rocking feeling she felt from the alcohol drift her to sleep, the last sound she heard was the television turning off and Jace's slow deep breathing as he let the darkness of unconsiousness take him under as well.

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 **Yeah, I doubt any of you read this shit, but it's still early and I gotta make a quick YouTube vid before I keep writing more. But I'll more than likely update again today. I gotta say, three chapters in one day? I rock, right? It's gotta count for something. Thanks for the reviews, like I said before, you have any suggestions, I'd be down to read them and take them into consideration. I haven't thought a lot about dialoge really, but it'll come to me I guess.**


	5. Chapter 5

**OMG if I'm not the best for posting four chapters in one day, then someone tell me how to please you cause I'll do so. Thanks for the reviews guys, I'm so thankful, it's really helpful to me. I would not mind if you kept the reviews coming. I'll get on with it then, I've always hated long intro explanations.**

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Movement stirred near Clary, waking her from her deep slumber. Her mouth was dry from last nights wine and her body feeling tight from the little room she had while sleeping on the couch. Her hand felt warm and she moved to look at what it was.

Jace had woken up at the same time as her, their hands basically holding. They both looked at their hands, then at each other before pulling away.

Jace cleared his throat, a small smile beginning to tug at his lips. Clary blushed, her cheeks feeling as hot as the fire was from last night.

"Wh-what time is it?" Clary stuttered, she began to pull at her tangled mess of her hair.

Jace grabbed his phone sitting on the coffee table and clicked in on as he rubbed his eyes.

"Eight o'clock." He groaned. Jace pulled his arm over his eyes as Clary rubbed her face. She definitely did not get enough sleep, but with the embarassment she felt, she knew she couldn't go back to sleep.

"You didn't go back to your room?" She asked.

Jace peeked past his arm and through his dark lashes, his golden eyes sparkling at her.

"You wouldn't let me." The smile in his voice was clear.

Clary tried playing it off, "Right, you probably made the first move."

He shrugged and tucked his eyes back under his arm, "Could you blame me?"

Clary swallowed loudly.

She reached for the remote and clicked the TV on, only nothing came up. She straightened her back and clicked the "on" button again. Nothing. She smacked the remote against her hand and clicked it, Jace now sitting up and watching her. She looked at him, her eyes wide and in slight panic. She watched as Jace leaned over to the table lamp and clicked it to turn on. Nothing.

"Looks like the power's out." Jace said. "At least we can still use water. I need a shower."

Clary suddenly wanted to vomit. She hadn't brought extra clothes with her, and she could hardly fit in Isabelle's clothes. Izzy didn't own the type of clothes that Clary would wear. Instead, Izzy's clothing was tight and revealing. Even her winter gear hugged Izzy's figure and made her look like a model. But because Izzy was much taller than Clary, the deep necked sweaters would expose Clary and the pants would fall to the floor. Clary certainly didn't have any clean underwear with her either, assuming she would return home the same day.

Jace stalked off to the bathroom, Clary noticing that he was peeling off his shirt as he entered and shutting the door behing him with his back muscles exposing.

Clary snatched her phone and immediately texted Isabelle, praying that she would be awake this early in the morning. She sent her four text messages in hopes that the constant ringing would wake her.

The sound of running water came on, and Clary ran to Izzy's room, praying that her friend had recently bought brand new underwear that Clary could keep. She would owe Izzy back majorly.

Her phone buzzed and she retreived it quickly.

 **I just bought some new panties. They're in a Victoria's Secret bag in my bathroom. I was gonna give them to you for Christmas anyways so... MERRY CHRISTMAS! LMAO - Isabelle**

Clary sighed, thanking Isabelle quickly before scouring the bathroom. There, hiding in the towel cabinents was a little stipped pink bag, inside ten pairs of lacey underwear. Clary swore under her breath cursing Izzy for buying such elaborate lingerie. About half of them were thongs and the other half lacy panties. Most in colors of black, nude and light pink. Clary pulled out a pair of black panties, lace sewn to the edges and a little white bow on the front. Next was what Clary could fit in. She sent a quick text to Izzy saying she was borrowing clothes until the storm was done and she was free. She could imagine Isabelle being thrilled with the idea of Clary dressing up since dressy clothing was all that Izzy owned.

Clothes flying around the already messy room, Clary finally found a sweater that didn't have a low "V" cut neckline and grabbed a pair of joggers that could tie. In the time it took Clary to find clothing to wear, Jace had finished his shower, allowing Clary to take one for herself.

She was thankful that the water system was gas, relishing in the hot shower. She silently thanked Jace for not using too much hot water as she felt the droplets on her skin make her feel like a hot massage. The smell of Isabelle's lavander shampoo lingered with the steam as Clary shut off the shower and dried off. Slipping the dark green sweater on and pulling the black joggers tight, Clary was thankful that Isabelle kept spare toothbrushes in the cabinents with the rest of the tooth care. It was hard to find the things she needed in the dull light, the power staying shut off made Clary think of horror movies.

Stepping out of the warm bathroom and into Izzy's cold bedroom, Clary started looking through clothes that she could wear for the next few days just in case the snow didn't let up. It was hard to see in the dimly lit room, the only source of light was the window hiding behind the lavander curtain.

Clary took a deep breath before stepping back out into the main room, keeping Izzy's door open in hopes that the heat of the rest of the house would migrate itself to the bedroom.

Clary gulped when she saw Jace.

His head bent over a pan and a mixing bowl as he used a measuring cup to pour pancake mix together. He had a white towel around his neck to stop his curling darkened hair from dripping down his back, which was completely bare. His shirt was gone and he wore dark grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips to reveal the "V". He always wore his pants low, enjoying the fact that he had a great body to show. His muscles were relaxed but his skin was still tight around the muscles that naturally showed. He was defined, even the scar above his hip bone was as defined as the muscles that snaked under his skin. It was a long scar, a scar Clary had never seen before, and she wondered where he could have gotten it. Clary didn't see Jace shirtless much, only occasionally, but everytime he took his shirt off she'd look away in embarrassment.

Jace felt her stare on him, looking over to her and smiling.

"Ogling is a form of flattery, Clarissa." Jace teased her.

Clary looked to the ground as her cheeks heated. Now she was the one feeling his stare as she stood in embarrassment.

She looked up to find she was right about him staring. She pulled at her hair and frowned.

"'Ogling is a form of flattery', _Jace._ " Clary quoted. She swallowed and blinked, giving his attention back to his pancake mix a small smile on his lips.

"What are you doing?" Clary finally asked, stepping closer to him. She took a subtle deep breath and could smell Jace's fresh cologne.

He looked at her, she didn't realize how close she had stepped to him to look in the mixing bowl until he looked at her.

Their faces were close enough that she could smell the toothpaste on his breath.

"Pancakes." He grinned.

He stepped around her and headed to the now burning fire furnace.

"How are you going to..." She watched as he placed the pan on the furnace flat top.

"Cook it? Fire of course"

Clary pulled at her hair again in embarrassment, not even considering using the furnace as a make shift stove top. She had been feeling embarrassed of herself most of the time she was trapped in the house. She wondered when it would let up.

"Would you like some? I made enough for two." Jace interrupted her thoughts. She looked at the mixing bowl, it was apparent that he had made enough for four, there was so much pancake mix.

She raked her hand through her damp curly hair, "S-sure. That'd be great."

Jace smiled, flipping the pancake over as Clary went to retreive plates and silverware for the two.

It wasn't much longer before Jace had made enough for himself and Clary, pancake mix still filled the bowl halfway from the leftover mix.

Jace rubbed his belly, eating six had made his stomach protrude slightly. Clary's three made her full but not feel like she were to explode. She stood and grabbed the dishes, Jace sitting up quickly.

"You don't need to get those, I got them." He stood to grab his plate but Clary was quicker as she snatched it before he had the chance.

"You made breakfast, I'll clean up." She smiled softly.

Jace followed her to the kitchen, "At least let me help?"

She looked at him, the light coming from the open window and the fire place made his eyes glow in the dimly lit apartment. He was close to her again, now his hand on her wrist as she reached for the dish soap. Her skin lit on fire where his hand was, the blood in her viens boiling. She looked down at his hand, then back in his eyes.

"I'll wash, you dry?" She agreed. Jace nodded his head and let go of her wrist to grab a towel. She let the breath she was holding out as she started the water, thankful there was still running water availble.

The water was hot on her hands as she began washing the dishes, there was more than just their morning dishes, some from the night before and possibly the day before that. Jace smiled at her as he grabbed the first wet dish from her hands, the two cleaning together in their first non awkward silence.

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 **Damn I'm updating a lot. Maybe I should take a break but honestly I'll probably start the next chapter as soon as I post this one. I like when my fave stories get updated and this is actually getting a lot more feedback than I thought it would, so I'll do you all a solid. Keep an eye our the next few hour or so in case I _do_ update, but if I don't get to it tonight, I'll probably do so tomorrow. Reviews are very much appreciated, I can't thank you guys enough. This is probably the most reviews and quick feedback I've ever gotten on my writing. Then again, I've grown a lot since I first started posting _years_ ago. Any ideas, advice, and comments are always looked at. 3**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, I'm still at it. It's like 12 am right now, but I kinda just wanna get this story done so I can get rid of this writers block. I also have to edit my YouTube vid (P.S. I wouldn't be upset if you wanted to subscribe to my channel). Reviews are much appreciated and I always read them and take any critiques or ideas into consideration. Now on with the story.**

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"You know Jace, I wouldn't have even thought about using the furnace as a stove top. That was actually kind of smart of you." Clary broke the silence between them as she took the sponge in her hand and cleaned the food off of the plate. Rinsing it, she handed it to Jace who took it from her gingerly to dry the dish and put it in it's place in the cupboards.

"You say that like I can't have intelligent ideas." Jace laughed.

Clary looked at him apologetically, "No, no. I didn't mean it like that-"

Jace interrupted her. "I'm just teasing," He nudged her arm with his elbow, "I've done it before once when our stove was broken. Had to use the furnace for a week if I wanted to eat something hot. It was summertime and very muggy, so standing by such heat didn't help. I would have used the sun and some foil, but for some reason, God decided to hide it from me that week and keep the moisture in the air very apparent." Jace laughed.

Clary smiled and giggled with him, their laughter singing together.

She handed him a new plate, "Well, thank you for breakfast."

He dried the plate and tucked it away, "Not a problem."

They were silent again, Clary feeling only a little awkward with the lack of conversation. Clary was thankful that Jace had thrown on a shirt before helping with the dishes, if he had remained bare chested, it would have been even more unpleasant silence. The sound in the room was the crackle of the fire place and the banging of dishes in the sink. Clary was at the silverware now, feeling around blindly in the soapy water as a layer of bubbles hid her sight from picking any specific dish.

A sharp pang sliced through her finger and she yanked her hands out of the water as she yelped.

Clary knocked into the refrigerator and Jace was by her side in an instant.

"Clary? What's wrong?!" Jace's voice was urgent. He looked at the water noticing small red dots painting the white bubbles, then looking back at her hand to see more red liquid mixing with the water on her hands.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I think I just cut myself on a knife in there." Clary looked at her hand, noticing how deep the cut was now that her hands were covered in blood. It was a deep slice into her flesh between her thumb and pointer finger. She swore under her breath.

She heard Jace swear too and rush to the bathroom. Clary watched after him in astonishment, she wondered if he had gotten sick at the sight of blood. Clary began to feel queasy herself, the amount of blood oozing from her wound and mixing with the water dripping from her hands was a sight she didn't want to see.

Standing up as Jace ran back to her, a little white box in his hand, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down.

"Jace, what are y-" She stopped when she realized he had brought out a first aid kit for her.

"I'm not a doctor, but I think that needs to be wrapped up before you bleed out." Jace gave a shakey chuckle. He grabbed a towel hanging from the oven rack and dabbed her hands dry.

"You'll ruin the towel!" Protested Clary. She stopped trying to move away when she saw the look on Jace's face. The look he gave showed him how little he cared for the towel.

"There are other towels, this ones ugly anyways." He exclaimed, looking back at her hands as he tossed the towel aside and pulled out cotton and a wrap. The blood now staining the pink towel.

"Why, because it's pink?" She asked.

He looked at her in annoyance, "No, because there's a duck on it." His voice having a "duh" tone in it.

Clary laughed loudly as he began wrapping her hand up.

"What the hell is wrong with a duck?" Her eyes were watering from laughing so hard, glad the conversation distracted her from the burning and tight sensation around her hand.

He looked at her, fear appearing in his eyes, "Ducks are just not a fan of me and I am not a fan of them."

Clary bit her lip from laughing out loud again.

Only then did she focus her attention on Jace's handiwork. His hot fingers touching the skin on her hands as he awkwardly wrapped the bandage around her hand. The wound was already in an inconvenient spot, so now the gauze was too. She noticed how long and thin his hands were, but hard and with callouses. Hands of an artist but also someone who worked hard. He had a little scar just below his pinky nail, curiosity sparked as she wondered how he had gotten that scar along with the one on his hip. Jace's hands slowed, Clary curious as to why his pace became less urgent.

Clary looked up and opened her mouth to speak, but was caught off guard by his stare. His dark golden eyes dilated and staring at her almost lazily. His hair curled in front of his eyes, a little too long for his liking probably since she always caught him pushing it out of his face. His cheeks were pink like hers were. Maybe it was her imagination, she thought, but it seemed like his eyes shifted to look at her lips for a split second, and then his face inching towards hers. He smelled of dish soap and burnt firewood,

Clary cleared her throat and grabbed the clip for the gauze, Jace blinking and pulling away from her.

"You alright?" Voice cracking, she looked up at Jace, the pink in his cheeks fading but still obvious.

Clary nodded and gave a small smile.

"Only _you_ would cut yourself doing dishes." He mocked. She watched his red tinted hands packed up the first aid kit.

"Of course, I have to keep my life a little exciting, don't I?" She teased back. He smiled at her. He stood and grabbed the towel, tossing it in the garbage, a little white duck facing up. Clary noticed a grimace on his face, but she knew it wasn't because of the blood that stained the towel.

He left the first aid on the kitchen counter and helped Clary up, his hands tickling her elbows.

She used her unwounded hand to tuck her hair behing her ear.

"Thank you, Jace. Really." She looked at him through her lashes.

He tapped his finger to her chin, "I mean, I don't really want you dying from blood loss while we're stuck in this apartment. You'd reek." He joked. She appreciated his lighthearted attitude.

Jace went around and drained the now red water, a gurggling sound from the sink.

She coked her head to the side and watched him fill the sink up again with fresh clean water, her stare making him look at her.

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing," Clary started, "You're not as bad as I thought."

Jace snorted at her, "You thought I was a bad guy?"

Clary leaned her her back against the counter so she could watch Jace continue the dishes.

She rubbed the gauze on the back of her hand, "I mean, not like that-"

Jace interrupted with a smile, "Definitely like that."

She rolled her eyes.

"You want me to be honest, get a glass of wine in me."

Jace lifted an eyebrow at her, then nodding his head at the fridge.

"We never finished that bottle of wine from last night, please, by all means, be honest with me." He smiled devilishly at him.

She blushed again.

Jace leaned toward her, his lips almost at her ear. Clary's eyes widened at the proximity of his face.

"And poor me a glass too?" He said it in a question but it more or less sounded more of a command.

Clary rolled her eyes to play off her nerves, pushing off the counter and grabbing the bottle of wine in the fridge with her good hand, then grabbing two glasses and filling them up. The bottle was half full still, a big bottle it was, as only two glasses had been emptied of the liquor. Clary had began sipping on her wine before Jace got the chance too. The glass was cool on her lips and the liquid even cooler on her tongue, but the warmth that spread throughout her body when she swallowed it gave her veins a buzz. Jace had just finished the last of the silverware and drained the water again, drying his hands with a new towel, this one appearing to have stripes on it instead of ducks.

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 **Okay, it's almost 1 am, I think I'm going to call it a night. I'll more than likely update tomorrow because as I've said a thousand times, once I get an idea, I like to just get it all out before it runs away from me. You probably won't read this bold text stuff because I usually don't, it's just all fill in bullshit but I gotta edit my YouTube vid tomorrow and then I'll get on it. Subscribe to my channel, that'd be swell. But I'm off. This is it for the night. I've updated like 5 times in one day, so I'd say, if I'm not someones favorite author, then I give up. Absolutely any feedback would be wonderful, you have no idea how giddy it makes me feel getting a new comment. Anyways, goodnight if you're reading this shit. 3**


	7. Chapter 7

**I've been gone all day but I think that's alright since I wrote 5 chapters in one day yesterday.**

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Clary sat on the couch sipping on her wine as she waited for Jace to join her. The cut on her hand no longer had the stinging pain of a fresh wound, but not the sting had dulled and numbed. She was barely away of the injury. She sipped on the wine, already almost done with her glass by the time Jace sat down. He looked at her glass and his eyes widened before he reached for the bottle and filled her glass up.

"You really are trying to get me drunk, aren't you?" Clary exclaimed, eyeing Jace as he smiled widely.

"I mean, I've never seen you drunk. So, yes." He winked at her. This time Clary didn't blush, she was actually getting used to his harmless teasing.

"You've seen me drunk before." She remembered a time that Isabelle and her had returned to her place after a party senior year of high school. Clary had dranken enough to feel drunk, but had to sober herself up to help Izzy make it to the toilet.

Jace shook his head after gulping his wine. "No, I've seen you tipsy, sure. But I've never seen you actually drunk. And not like, black out drunk either. You know what I'm talking about?"

She nodded her head and opened her mouth, but he interrupted her first.

"The kind of drunk that you feel a little woozy but you're all happy and giggly and sometimes slip up on things you shouldn't say, but want to say. Eyes glossy, words ever so slurred, and your balance just a little off. _That's_ the kind of drunk I want to get you."

Clary stared at him, she felt nervous again when he spoke about words slipping that you shouldn't say but want to say. She wondered if there was a double meaning behind his explanation, but quickly dismissed the thought. Jace was a very outspoken person and said what was on his mind, especially when it came to getting a girl in bed.

She took another sip of her wine, realizing that Jace had finished his first glass already and filled it again. He was quick to down the first serving, hoping that if she were to get drunk, he would also.

"So, Clary," Jace began. He twirled the delicate glass around and watched the pink liquid stir like a tornado, "Ask me something."

She blinked, "Ask you something?"

He nodded, "Anything."

"Why?" Clary shifted on the couch. Her legs were brought up on the sofa and his were extended out and relaxed on the coffee table and crossed at the ankles. They were close enough that their knees were touching, his sweats touching her joggers.

"I feel like we don't know each other very well, and I'm sure there's a million questions brewing up in that carrot top." He looked at her lazily and sipped on his wine again. Clary watched his Adam's apple bob.

She looked down at the pink alcohol, she realized her belly felt hot and the tips of her ears tingled. She could feel the alcohol take effect on her and tried to calm her heartbeat before it could give her away.

"I mean, I don't know what you really want me to ask, it's kinda a silly suggestion."

"Fine, I'll ask," Jace adjusted himself so he was facing Clary a little more, "How many guys have you slept with?"

Clary choked.

"E-excuse me?" She coughed, the wine had gotten stuck in her throat.

Jace laughed, "Too blunt?"

She nodded trying to catch her breath. She thought he would ask a different question, but he only stared at her waiting to answer. She swallowed, her throat sore from her coughing fit.

"None..." She choked out. Jace's eyes widened.

"None?" He was in disbelief.

She nodded her head, "None." She repeated.

He put his hand over his eyes, "Oh my God, _Clarissa_ , you are missing out!"

She giggled, the heat in her belly rose to her chest and the tingling at the tips of her ears had reached her cheeks.

"That's what Izzy says."

"You've really never done it?" He asked in astonishment.

She shook her head.

"What about other things? Like, ya know..." Jace wiggled his fingers and Clary's eyes nearly popped out of her skull.

"Oh my God! _No!_ " She snapped, Jace smiled.

"Wow..." He stared in awe.

"What?" Clary began to feel uncomfortable. Was it really so bad that she hadn't had sex, let alone fooled around? It's not that she was trying to save herself for any particular reason, but she had hoped that her first would be more than just a hook up.

"Nothing," Jace had his hand leaning on his arm as he slung it around the back of the couch. "I just didn't know. That's really amazing."

Clary shrugged.

"Why not?" He asked another question.

She squinted her eyes, "You're full of curiosity."

Jace shrugged with a smile on his face.

She had had enough wine in her that she understood what Jace meant about slipping up when it came to saying things you shouldn't but wanted to.

"I don't know, I've never really _been_ with anyone I trusted I guess. My longest relationship was two months long, and I didn't feel... I don't know... comfortable? Yeah, that's the right word. I barely knew the guy and he was my first real boyfriend, and I was really young. Don't get me wrong, I'm not waiting until marriage or anything, but I at least want my first time to at least be somewhat something I won't regret, you know."

Clary huffed, feeling silly that she had explained her reasoning so detailedly to Jace of all people.

He stared at her, a thoughtful look on his face.

"What about you?" She reverted the attention to him now, hating how long she was in the spotlight of conversation.

"Have I had sex?" He laughed and had a look of disbelief that she had even asked such an obvious question.

"Well, no... How many girls have you slept with?" She let the thoughts in her head come out like word vomit. Once it started, she couldn't stop herself from finishing.

He laughed, "Three."

She stared.

"Wait, three overall? Or three in high school, or...?" Clary stuttered, her mouth feeling heavy.

He looked at his wine before taking a sip, "Three overall."

"You're lying." Clary said it before she thought about it. She felt bad for calling him a liar, but she was in denial.

He put up his hand with his thumb holding his pinky, "Scouts honor." He smiled softly, a look of pain in his eyes. She wondered if he was hurt because of Clary's accusation of because of something else.

"Only three? But... But you have girls coming in and out everytime."

Jace chuckled. He reached for the bottle of wine and filled his glass, then filling hers. She still hadn't officially finished a full glass, each time Jace filling it before she had a chance to actually finishing it 100%.

He sipped his wine, a look of explanation on his face. Was he trying to get drunk so he could explain better?

He was.

"I dated a girl in high school, before moving here. Her name was Aline, and damn was she a dream." Jace began, his eyes looking off as if he was seeing the past right in front of them. "We dated for two years, she was my first, but I found out I wasn't her first... Or only. She said we had never really put an official label on us, and she thought I knew that. But, damn, two years of seeing the same person, going to dances with them, dates, meeting family's, you'd think you wouldn't have to have the 'label' talk, right?" He looked at Clary. She nodded, more hoping he'd continue than agreeing.

He sighed and took another drink, a large gulp. "I mean, thank God we moved shortly after anyways. We didn't move because of her, mind you, it just happened to be a perfect time. Coming here, I had a fresh start, and I was still so heartbroken that I slept with two girls in high school here. I was doing it to cope, you know? To get over her. But the they were horrible, and I felt gross and it just felt wrong. I felt like I was cheating on Aline even though she had been cheating on me, but it still felt wrong." He gulped at his wine, his eyes started becoming pink and glossy, his cheeks became rosy. "I mean, I definitely don't have girls coming in and out just to makeout, I definintely do other things," Clary grimaced, "and I really think I'm over her. I mean, damn, it's been years since we broke up and I don't think about her anymore. It feels like a weight lifted from my shoulders kinda thing."

Clary stared in silence, his finger had been rubbing the edge of the glass as they both were silent.

"I just feel shitty sleeping with girls and not calling them. I like that connection between two people when they have sex. It's a personal thing, so I try to not just do it all the time."

Clary nodded, understanding what he meant. She knew sex was a emotional, mental, and physical connection, which is why she hadn't found someone to do it with. She didn't feel ready to be like that with someone.

"I want to feel that type of connection with someone, that's kinda why I'm so hesitant. I want someone to really know me and appreciate me, I don't want to be afraid to take my clothes off and bare my soul to someone who's just going to toss me away."

She felt his hand tuck a peice of hair behind her ear, she did not freeze though, did not pull away, only looked at him.

"I think that's important... I hope you find that with someone." There was a look in his eyes when he spoke, a look of longing? She couldn't put her finger on it, especially with the alcohol messing with her decision making.

They were quiet again before he cleared his throat, "Ask me something else."

She shifted, "I don't know what to ask..."

He sighed in annoyance but kept a smile on her face to reassure her that he wasn't annoyed to the heart.

"Alright, I'll go again. Why do you like drawing so much?" He asked, his tone serious and full of wonder. The question caught Clary off guard, no one had really asked her why she enjoyed it before.

She was thoughtful, pondering the question before answering.

"I don't know, being able to capture a moment with my own hands feels amazing. Even if it isn't a real life moment, anything I imagine or create in my head, I can put it on paper and make it physical. There's so much meaning behind a lot of art, and without it, I wouldn't be able to see the real beauty in things. Down to the smallest lines and the lightest to darkest shades, everything is so articulated in the world and being able to create it myself makes me feel like I'm important to the world..."

Jace stared at her, he looked at her as if she were a dream.

"That's beautiful." He finally spoke. She looked at him and tucked her hair back, shrugging and trying not to make it a big deal.

Clary kept her eyes down at her emptying glass, she could feel his stare on her.

Finally she cleared her throat, "What are you good at?"

He had a questioning look.

"Like, what's your hobby. I draw, Izzy... well, Izzy shops," They both chuckled, "What do you do that you could spend hours doing?"

A toothy grin spread across his face. The smile wrinkled his eyes and showed one of his incisors chipped making him look younger. Clary imagined his baby pictures and her hand twitched to draw what he would have looked like as a child.

"Let me show you." He said. Jace set the glass down and then set hers down for her before standing and grabbing her hand. His hand was warm as he grabbed her wrist as he pulled her towards the piano.

Clary was confused, she had thought Isabelle had mentioned that all of them stopped playing piano after a few years, maybe Clary had misheard her friend.

Jace sat down, pulling Clary next to him. They were close enough that their shoulders were touching as he pulled up the piano cover to reveal the shiney white and black pattern. There wasn't any sheet music set up for him, but she watched as he stroked his finger tips along the smooth cool tiles.

Then she noticed his face, perhaps it was just the alcohol affecting her sight, but he looked like the most at peace person. The lines in his forehead had smoothed and his eyes looked at the piano like it was the love of his life. His lips curled up softly as he bit his lip. His chest rose and fell before he pressed the first key on the paino.

The room filling with the sounds of a very experienced and gifted musician.

* * *

 **Sorry, I ended up going out with some friends and haven't written anything all day. It's 2:30 am right now, but at least I still updated. I've been getting a lot of reviews, a lot of suggestions, and I absolutely love it. I'm so thankful for them all, it kind of makes me want to keep writing more little fanfictions. This'll be a short fanfic, but it was just an idea I wanted to get down. I still haven't edited my YouTube vid yet lmao (link is in my bio on my profile if you care to check it out. I'm a storytime kind of YouTuber like Jenna Marbles or The Gabbie Show, idk we'll see how long I do it). But yeah, and also, I really didn't think people read the bold stuff, I usually don't but thanks if you do, that's sweet. I'll definitely write and update tomorrow, I don't have anything planned for tomorrow that I know of (I didn't have actual plans today, they just kind of happened last minute), but I'll make sure to update. I think 5 chapters in one day was a lot for me, so today was good to kinda do something else.**

 **Sorry, I'm rambling. I'll catch you guys tomorrow, promise.**


	8. Chapter 8

**So, a lot of you keep telling me that you actually do read the little authors notes and I'm such an ass hahah, I just don't usually read them cause I like to jump into the story. But anyways, I've been helping my mom out all day, but look, I've updated. I'm really surprised how many people actually like this and have given me such great feedback, always thankful for those giving me tips on how to better my writing. I doubt my writing a lot if you haven't caught on, but ya know, I'll get over it eventually. I'll stop rambling now lmaooo**

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The sound of the piano filled the room. Music that was so performed, executed so perfectly, sounds that felt with emotion graced their ears. Clary's mouth was open in awe, she had never heard something so perfectly played before. She always enjoyed classical music, and favored the paino the most. The memory of her when she was younger and asking her mother to start taking piano lessons dawned in her mind. Her mother told Clary that she didn't think Clary wouldn't follow through with it like all of the other hobbies she had taken lessons in; sewing, violin, track, even illustrating comics she never finished.

Clary watched as Jace's fingers flew about the piano keys, his fingers touching each individual tile lightly like a feather. His long fingers creating new notes and filling the room with beauty. His eyes closed sometimes, feeling into the music and not needing to watch which keys he pressed. He knew the notes like the back of his hand.

Jace had continued taking piano lessons even when Alec and Izzy had called quits. Piano was the one thing Jace had fallen in love with before meeting Aline. It was something that he always felt to keep secret, something that only his family and himself knew about. Playing piano was the one thing he could always turn to when Aline wasn't there.

The familiar smoothness of each tile of the piano made him feel at home, brought back memories and emotions that he had felt when he played. He didn't have a song to play for Clary in mind, he just let his fingers take lead.

Clary, the girl who sat beside him with her jaw to the ground in awe made his fingers feel shaky for the first time. Even Aline hadn't made him feel nervous when he played for her for the first time. Jace considered that perhaps it was the fact that he had had four glasses of wine in his system, but even on his nights where he had dranken enough that he couldn't keep his own weight up and the contents in his stomach down, he still managed to play as naturally as breathing.

Jace told himself it was the alcohol that made him decide to play for Clary, that the liquid courage pushed him that extra step. Plus, it had been days since he last sat down and played, the time feeling like years to him.

Clary made him feel so comfortable the last few days. It wasn't like he had seen her across the room the first time they met and it was like a movie where he fell in love instantly, but he did think she was a stunning girl. She wasn't like the rest of the girls that Jace had been with, definitely nothing like Aline.

Clary didn't feel the need to show off or try to tease him the way he did with her. She didn't feel the need to compete or try to be on the same level as him, her blushes making up for the lack of witty snap backs. She wore oversized sweaters instead of tight and lowcut bodices, she kept her hair wild instead of trying to make it perfectly straight. Sure, she wore a little makeup, but it was light and natural, keeping her lashes dark but her freckles free. He liked the way she looked, and he could look like her all the time, but it wasn't love at first sight, he didn't believe in that.

Jace enjoyed her company the last few days especially, feeling like he could joke with her without her taking everything he said to heart like some girls did. She was a warrior, not a princess like all of the girls he seemed to go for. It wasn't that he ever hated her when they first met, jealous maybe of how easily his family connected with her and how out of the loop he was, but he never hated her for it.

His fingers were slowing, the notes in the room getting quieter as he pressed on the last notes of his song.

He sighed longingly, his piano like the true center of his world. He let his fingers glide across the keys without pressing down on them one last time before he closed the casket of his love and looked to Clary.

"I'd close your mouth before any flies make home." He nudged his shoulder with hers and she snapped it close. Her delicate fingers tucking her frizzy curly hair behind her ear.

She was speechless, and Jace found joy in that.

Clary finally spoke, he could tell that she had dranken enough that her eyes were glossy and the tips of her ears stayed pink.

"That was beautiful Jace." She breathed. Her breath smelled like the pink wine.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "It probably could have been better without those four glasses of wine."

She shook her head, her hair tickling his arm.

"No, really. I-I had no idea that you played so wonderfully, let alone kept playing."

He wiped some dust off of the piano, "Yeah, I enjoyed it a lot when i was younger that I just kept going."

"Izzy said you all stopped." Clary said quietly, more to herself than to Jace, but he still heard her.

"Maybe to her it seemed like I stopped, I don't like playing for people really, even if it is my family."

Clary tilted her head in question, "Why is that?"

He shrugged and looked at her, her green eyes wide and full of wonder. The tip of her nose was pink as well, the freckles scattered across her skin like stars in the night sky.

"Why don't you like to show your art to people?" He questioned to her.

Clary smiled, he knew that she understood what he meant. It was something he liked to have just for himself, like a journal, a way to say what he couldn't always explain in words. A creation that only he could make and that maybe others couldn't really understand, but he understood.

Clary frowned, causing Jace to worry. Her brows pulled down while she was in deep thought and he wondered what stirred in her head enough to but a "V" crease between her brows.

Finally, she spoke.

"Why did you play for me?" She asked. The question caught him off guard only slightly. Jace wondered himself while he played. It had taken him a whole year until he played for Aline, and he rarely played for his siblings or parents when they were around. He wasn't apart of any music classes or clubs in high school either. So why, after spending all day with Clary for the last few days had he decided to play for _her_?

Jace pulled his fingers through his hair, he told himself that he needed a haircut soon, but had missed his chance when the snow had come.

"I guess..." He thought about how to phrase his explanation in a way it would make sense. He could explain it in his playing, because for him, sometimes music spoke while words failed.

"I guess you make me feel like you wouldn't judge me for it." He said it more as a question, not really understanding his answer for himself.

Clary laughed, "No one could ever make fun of you for how wonderfully you played, Jace. If they did, I'd hit them for you."

He smiled at her, her eyes glowing.

"I know no one would actually make fun of me for it, but I don't know... Even now, instead of scoffing at me and saying that it's girly like some guys would say or being embarrassed that I enjoy something that makes me seem... less masculine. You just, you praised me for it instead, and I can see the look in your eyes that you want me to play again."

Clary blushed, "I mean, I wasn't going to say anything but, if you insist." She joked, and Jace laughed with her. She was beginning to feel more open with him, and he enjoyed it a lot.

He opened the casket to reveal the piano keys again, smiling at her and taking in the excitement that gleamed in her eyes that he was going to play for her again.

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 **So, a little Jace POV for you, kinda fun right? Thank you to a random guest who asked for a little more Jace POV, and thanks to for asking** sophiecampbellbower **for asking for a little more response from Clary, I'm not the best at witty responses, but I hope I got a little better? IDK, I'll work on it, she's getting more used to his teasing. I also don't know how many days they've been trapped, maybe like two? Also, sorry if there are some parts in the reading that make no sense, or if there are any mistakes. As much as I should read over what I've written, I literally just type it and post it, which is bad because I should be looking over my writing in case I have a lot of mistakes, but oh well. I'm not trying to make this, like a really time consuming thing and get too serious into it, that's why I don't edit. But yeah, I'll probably start the next chapter right after I post this, so keep a look out. Thank you again for the reviews and suggestions, you have no idea how much joy I get out of them. I feel like a little girl crushing on a boy, like I literally giggled yesterday whlie getting ready for bed at some of the comments just because I was so happy and giddy that I was getting feedback. I'm rambling again, watch out for another chapter. Thanks, loves.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Alright, I'm trying not to ramble, but who knows. I literally just posted the last chapter as I'm writing this, so that's how much I update. Sorry if there's mistakes and errors, I don't edit after I write this, which is a bad habit, but I'm not trying to get too involved in this. Just bear with me lmaoooo. Also, still haven't edited my YouTube vid (if you want to, idk, watch my vids and subscribe, that'd be dope af) and I'm helping my ma with christmas stuff, so if this doesn't go up in the next hour after my last update, sorry. But thanks for understanding that I need to have a personal life. Shit, I'm rambling again.**

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Jace and Clary had broken into another bottle, Jace noticed that Clary giggled a lot more and was a lot more responsive to his witty comments than just blushing, he liked how comfortable she was. He had played her another song and asked if she wanted more to drink, she supposed it wouldn't hurt, it wasn't like they were going to do anything else. She had started to light candles around the living room to give them more light since the power was still out. She gazed out the window, the snow hadn't melted but it had stopped snowing. Snow was still up to car handles and it looked like a true winterwonderland. It was like they were in another world with the amount of snow that covered the city.

They were back on the couch now, they were closer together even though the couch was large, their knees touching. Clary felt drunk enough that she was just rambling, Jace had asked her about her favorite place she had ever visited. The excitement to relive a memory had made her words come quickly and her shoulders roll back and show how excited she was. Jace listened to her, he enjoyed listening to her talk, especially about something so important to her. He looked at her dreamily and noticed little things about her that he knew she didn't realize.

Perhaps it was the alcohol is what Jace thought, but when she explained the details of how her favorite place looked, she looked around the room instead of at him, as if she was looking at the scene she was describing was right in front of her. She blinked a lot and it made her eyes wrinkle but made her look younger, and when she smiled wider, she had a little dimple on her right cheek. Jace noticed that she touched her hair alot when she had more alcohol in her, tossing it all one way and then the other. She never found comfort with where her heavy hair layed.

Clary took a deep breath when she had finished, feeling slightly embarrassed that she had taken so much time in her story.

She giggled instead, "I'm sorry, that was a lot of word vomit.

Jace laughed with her and shook his head, "Don't apologize, it was cute."

She had her elbow up on the back of the couch and rested her head on her elbow.

"Why do you say things like that?" She blurted out. She felt silly for a second, but the liquid courage in her chest kept her embarrassment at bay.

"Things like what?" He smiled, he knew what she meant, but wanted to hear her voice more.

She rolled her eyes, "Things like, 'you're cute' and things that are really nice?"

He touched a hand to his heart and acted hurt, "Can I not be a nice guy?"

She pushed his hand away and laughed, "No, no, you know what I mean. You've never said anything like this to me before unless it was sexual, and here you are making me feel like pudding."

He smiled wide, he could tell that she hadn't meant to say what she said, but she didn't care. To hide her embarrassment, she gulped her wine. They had almost finished their second bottle, and Jace was feeling drunk, and he knew that Clary was feeling it more since she was such a lightweight.

He touched one of her curled locks, it wrapped around his finger naturally like a silk snake. She watched his hands twist in her hair but didn't flinch or blush.

"Because you are cute. You're a stunning girl, Clary. And I have a feeling you don't believe it and that no one tells you that enough."

There was the blush.

"My mom tells me I'm pretty." She giggled, and then she was quiet, staring at Jace with glossy eyes. "But I don't believe it."

Jace frowned, "That's unfortunate."

She pushed his hand away, "I mean, I don't need a man to tell me I'm pretty. I'm an independent woman." She tried acting sassy but her giggles betrayed her.

He smiled, "You're right, you _don't_ need a man... But _someone_ should remind you."

She looked at him through her dark lashes, his heart squeezing in his chest. Jace knew he was developing a crush on Clary, that much was obvious to him. She was a girl, no, he thought, she was a woman. She was kind and smart, funny and thoughtful, intelligent and mysterious. She kept him always guessing and every guess he had about her next move was wrong, and he liked that about her. She was always so unpredictable.

She looked away after realizing that they were staring at each other.

"You know about us girls, we get told a thousand compliments but only hold onto that one insult for the rest of our life." She looked down and played with the ends of her hair.

Jace furrowed his brows, "Well, whoever gave you that one insult is the most ignorant human being. What an idiot." Jace was actually very mad about it. Clary deserved a lot more than some immature boy calling her names.

She smiled at him, he had noticed that her smile was different when she was drunk, wider and made her cheeks crinkle more as if she was about to burst.

"Why have you never complimented me before?" She joked.

He laughed, "I compliment you all the time."

She pushed him lightly, "You compliment the great sex we could have, that doesn't count."

He laughed harder, knowing that she was right. But the thought had popped in his head everytime he saw her. Even her body type was much different than the other girls he'd been with. The girls he'd been with were busty and tall, wore a lot of makeup and had curves from the devil himself. Clary didn't really have curves, she had lovely hips, but she was smaller. Shorter and petite, but he liked that about her.

"We never talked much until being trapped." He said, a small feeling of regret in the pit of his stomach.

She leaned on the back of the couch again, "Why is that?"

His hand was on her knee and he drew circles on her leg. She watched his finger going around and around, mesmorized drunkenly.

"You clicked so well with my siblings and I felt like you didn't want to talk to me. I was jealous. Silly, I know," Jace admitted. There was no holding back now, "But I felt like I was that player that you saw from across the room and grimaced at. And i was a total player, but I felt like I couldn't connect with the rest of you guys."

He watched Clary frown, both from frustration and sadness.

"I didn't mean to-" She began.

He cut her off by putting his hand to her mouth, "You don't need to apologize, it was just as much me as it was you. I definitely could have been more friendly and tried to join in, but I didn't."

She looked down at first, then back at him. Their eyes locked. The only sound was the small fire they had just started and their breathing. His face was close to hers, close enough to notice that she had freckles in her eyes as well. Colors of brown and different shades of green speckeled in her iris's. He could feel the air of her breath from her nose on his fingers and the smoothness of her lips on his palm. She blinked and he realized that he was still covering her mouth.

He pulled away quickly, now he was the one feeling embarrassed.

She pulled at her hair again and smiled, her perfectly straight teeth showing.

Jace smiled in response, he couldn't help it, when she smiled, he wanted to smile.

"What?" He asked.

She giggled, he looked at her shoulder and noticed that her oversized sweater had fallen off her left shoulder, exposing her freckled skin and her tight collarbones.

"What were you thinking about just then?" She covered her face with her hand that was hiding in her sweater.

"What makes you think I was thinking about anything?" He laughed with her, unable to control it.

She leaned forward, her face inches from his. Jace's mouth felt dry as he looked at her smile. Her pink lips stretched over her white teeth, her pink tongue sticking between the space of her teeth.

"You were thinking about _kissing_ me." She giggled.

He swallowed, all smiles left his face.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked, trying to hide his shock.

She giggled again, the sound of her laughter making Jace's stomach flutter.

"I was thinking the same." She leaned her head to the side. He knew that she hadn't meant to say any of that, but it sill made his heart beat erratically because he knew she was being honest.

He swallowed hard.

She leaned back and pouted, "Why won't you?" She asked. She sounded hurt that he hadn't kissed already, and it made him feel like he went straight to heaven. Girls usually lunged for him, but she wasn't going to, and that was one assumption he was right about.

Jace stroked her cheek, her skin smooth and hot. Instead of pulling away, she leaned into his hand. His fingers twitched to touch more of her skin. He wanted to touch the curve of her jaw, the slope of her neck, feel her collar bone and her shoulders in his hands. He wanted to feel her hair tickle the back of his hand if he'd tuck his hand behind her ear, and wanted to feel her eyelashes touch his cheeks if he had just leaned in.

He sighed, and looked at her, sadness and eagerness in her green glossy eyes.

"Because I'd rather do it without the amount of alcohol we have in our systems."

Clary was stunned for a moment, and then smiled.

She sighed as well, looking disappointed but content.

"You're such a good person. You suck." She stated and then started to laugh.

Jace laughed with her, both of them holding their bellies and wiping tears from their eyes.

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 **LMAO, you thought they were gonna kiss. Chill. Not today. Maybe not ever, I don't want to give anything away because I'm literally writing this as I come up with it. Zero knowledge of what is going to happen next. I kinda just let things happen as if it was real life and I didn't know what was happening next. So, I'm just as stoked as you guys, trust me. As usual, I really appreciate all the feedback and praise this has gotten, and I'm always reading your reviews and taking consideration. Like last chapter, I even will call you out and thank you for the suggestion you gave me. Idk, do I kinda wanna reply to the reviews I get, but like, do people do that? I'd most likely just say thank you so much for your feedback, yadda yadda yadda, but Idk, I don't usually write on fanfic, I just read. Shit, I suck at not rambling. I'll probably start another chapter literally after I post this like I always do. So watch out. 3**


	10. Chapter 10

**OMG YOU GUYS ARE SO CUTE BY TELLING ME THAT YOU LIKE STOP EVERYTHING AND READ MY STUFF WHEN I UPDATE AND THAT YOU REALLY LOVE IT LIKE I'M NOT KIDDING, MY MOM KEEPS LOOKING AT ME LIKE I'M PSYCHO CAUSE I KEEP GIGGLING BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL SO NICE LIKE WHO AM I, I DON'T GIGGLE. Anyways, let's dive in.**

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Clary woke to the sound of the shower running, she felt groggy her mouth was dry. Her back was starting to hurt from sleeping on the couch, but Izzy's room was so cold that she couldn't stand sleeping in there. She sat up, a blanket tangled in her legs and the window curtains opened so that the light of outside came in. Clary had a small headache, nothing she couldn't get rid of.

She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and remembered last night, getting decently drunk with Jace, the things he told her about his past and how he felt, his skilled hands creating the most mesmorizing music, and then thats when she remembered what _she_ had said last night. She was mortified about telling him that she thought about kissing him. She didn't lie, but she'd hope that the wine would have kept _some_ things to herself.

She rolled out of her makeshift bed and padded off to Izzy's bathroom. She took some medicine for her small headache before it got worse, just in enough time for Jace to finish his shower and give Clary the chance to shower herself. She was quick, not trying to waste too much time showering, her stomach growled and she was much too hungry to try to take her time in the shower.

Clary unwrapped the gauze, her would still wet but no longer bleeding, the wrapping covered in red. She winced at the pain a little, but thankfully the pills she took for her headache also numbed the pain in her hand. She looked through the cupboards to find a first aid and eventually found one. Taking a little too long to wrap her wound, but eventually getting it and clipping it.

She changed quickly and left the cold room, upset that the temperature throughout the warm apartment hadn't made it's way to Izzy's room.

She stepped out and stopped, Jace had his back to her over by the furnace with the smell of eggs and salsa throughout the room. He turned to her and smiled, shaking a pan with eggs frying, a fire crackling. The wood that was set up around the furnace had been taken apart by them the last three days, Clary wondered if they would run out of wood before the snow melted.

"How you feelin'?" Jace smiled up at her, she smiled back and stood by the fire, putting her hands close so that they could warm up. Just being in Izzy's cold room in a short time had made her fingertips chilled.

"Not hungover if that's what you're asking," He laughed, "But I'm alright, tiny headache, my back hurts a little."

Jace frowned at her and scrambled the eggs in the pan.

"Because of the couch?" He asked. "You want some?" He gestured towards the pan.

Clary smiled and nodded, "That'd be great. And yeah, most likely the couch."

She sat down as he made his way to the kitchen, the eggs scrambled and fully cooked. She listened as he gathered plates and dished up for them.

"Why don't you sleep in Izzy's room?" He asked, coming around the couch and setting her plate in front of her on the coffee table. She was glad that they could eat at the couch instead of the dining table, it felt too formal.

She gave him a look, "Have you been in there?"

He snickered, "Yeah, she's a mess."

She took a bite, her mouth filling with saliva from the great taste.

"Well, also, it's freezing in there. I swear she leaves the window open when she sleeps. She loves sleeping cold and I never understood why."

Jace smiled and shook his head, "Yeah, when we were kids and we'd have sleepovers in our rooms, she'd open the window during the night. I always had to close it during the night because Alec and I would freeze to death."

Clary laughed, imagining a little blond boy shivering and struggling to force a window closed, the moonlight shining on his hair and making it white. Her hand twitched at the image she wanted to draw.

Clary and Jace finished their breakfast in silence, scarfing down the food in minutes. Clary had sat on the floor so the coffee table was to her chest, Jace still on the couch sitting in the corner with his legs outstretched.

"How's your hand?" Jace asked. She looked down at it and touched the wrap.

"It's alright, thanks." She smiled at him.

"So," Jace began, he leaned forward and placed his finished plate on the coffee table next to Clary's, "What do we do today?"

Clary looked at her phone, clicking it. It was dead after not being able to charge it the last few days. She had sent a text earlier telling her mother and Luke that she probably wouldn't be able to text eventually because there was no power.

Clary turned to face Jace, "What do people usually do without power and being trapped?"

"I don't know... We don't really have board games or anything electricity to watch a movie. My laptop and phone are dead."

Clary looked back to her phone, "So is mine."

"We still have wine, but it _might_ be too early to start drinking considering how much we drank last night." Jace gave her a crooked smile. Her stomach knotted when she remembered what she said last night. She wondered if he remembered or if he had dranken enough to forget. She assumed he remembered but was being a gentleman and not discussing last nights events.

They both sighed, both thinking of what they could do to pass the time.

Clary finally spoke, "I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to hear you play more." She edged on. Jace smiled at her and stood, grabbing her plate as well as hers and putting them in the sink quickly.

She watched him sit at the piano and open the key drawer, his fingers sliding over the smooth tiles before beginning to play.

Clary watched him for a moment, watching his shoulders flex under his white tshirt as he moved his hands across the keys.

She grabbed the notepad and pen that had been sitting on the coffee table and started to sketch and moved herself upward to sit on the sofa, the same place Jace was sitting, in the corner with her legs out. She looked up at him to get the image of him.

Lines forming on the paper, she drew the curve of his back first, the wrinkles in his shirt and the small muscles that shied under the cotton. Each detail of his arms and the curling of his hair, shadowing his hair to show the difference in highlights, some locks lighter than others, some straighter than the rest. The paino he sat at and it's shine as the light from the window touched it. She listened to the music fill the room, realizing that she recognized the song.

"Opus 23?" She asked looking over her sketch.

Jace looked behind him but didn't stop playing, he knew where the keys were, knew the song well enough that he could have played it with his eyes closed.

"You know Dustin O'Halloran?" He asked, surprise in his tone.

Clary shrugged, "Just that song. I really like it."

He smiled and turned back to the piano, "Didn't know you knew that much music."

She smiled even though he couldn't see, "I listen to classical a lot thank you very much. Just because I don't play an instrument, doesn't mean I don't know my music."

Soon his hands began to slow, knowing that the song was coming to an end as he played the last note. He again, touched all of the keys before closing the door. He spun in the bench and looked at her, resting his elbows on his knees.

"What did you draw?" He asked.

Clary blushed and pulled the notepad to her chest to hide from him.

He stood and made his way over to her.

His lip pouted out and he put a knee on the sofa, then put his hands down as well so that he was close to Clary, she swallowed.

"You're really not going to show me? Even after I played for you?" He begged. She looked down, knowing that she was being unfair. He had opened up to her and showed her something that he didn't show a lot of people. It was only right to do the same.

She gulped and slowly handed him the notepad.

He took it from her hands slowly, keeping his eyes on her as he turned it around so he could get a better view of it himself.

His eyes widened when he finally looked at her art.

"Is it bad?" She nervously asked.

He looked back at her, "If you ever ask if your art is bad, I'll disown you."

She gave a breathy laugh and touselled her hair.

"Clary, this is _so good_. No, that's a terrible word. Amazing? No... I'm really speechless." Jace stared at it and sat back on his foot.

"Okay, now you're just being too nice." Clary teased.

He looked up at her again, "No, really, this is really incredible. It looks so realistic, and it's only pen... _Wow_ "

Clary looked at him as he stared at her art. Sure people had complimented her art, telling her how amazing it was, but no one really seemed as speechless as Jace was. She knew was talented, but when there were other amazing artists in the room, hers felt so dull compared to everyone else. They had seen everyone else's, hers was just _another_ piece. People would usually be over looking at all the art by the time they got to hers.

"Can I keep it?" He asked, his eyes were wide, gold and glowing.

Clary was taken back, "Um... S-sure I guess... It's nothing really."

He shook his head, tendrills of gold silk falling in his eyes that Jace had to push away with his hands.

"No, really, it _is_ something." He looked like a child at Christmas he was so full of joy. "You're better than Klimt."

Clary again was surprised, but squinted her eyes at him.

"What did Gustav Klimt paint?"

He looked at her, knowing she was only testing him.

He squinted his eyes at her as well, but held a toothy smile at her.

"He painted 'The Kiss'. Just because I don't draw doesn't mean I don't know my art." He mocked her, but Clary was actually very impressed with him. People never knew the artist, only the work.

He set the artwork down but looked back her questioningly.

"I can really keep it?" He asked.

Clary shrugged and nodded, "If you want, it's just a doodle, not that good honestly. If I had all my supplies it'd probably look better."

"Oh my g- Clary, I will pay you mad money if you draw me something with all of your supplies."

She stared, and started laughing lightly.

"You don't have to pay me Jace."

He looked even more excited, "But you'd make me something?"

She nodded.

His smile grew, "Clary you're so good." Jace leaned forward quckly and kissed her on the cheek before she could react. He didn't seem phased by it, but Clary was stiff as he pulled away and picked up the drawing again. Her face was burning.

It was just a simple touched of his lips to her cheeks, but it made her stomach flutter and her heart jump out of her chest.

She touched her cheek after he smiled at her and took the notepad into his room leaving his door open. She wondered if he was putting her artwork in there.

She stood and followed him, wanting to get her answer.

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 **OMG** TheMortalBlade **TOTALLY GETS WHAT I MEAN ABOUT FEELING GIDDY! I mean, it's a different type of giddy, but I'm glad that you feel as excited as I do about a new update as I do about seeing everyones reviews. And** Debra Williams **I totally love when you really feel apart of the story, it's the most amazing feeling when you feel that connection and feel like you're actually in the story. That's the thing I've always wanted to capture and I really hope that everyone feels the same way. Also LMAO SAID** Completebooknerd101 **SAID "** And wtf haha who would of thought of jace herondale giving up a chance to kiss a girl who wanted to and willing told hoim she wanted to and said no! **"** **I thought that was so funny because I didn't really think about it like that until you said something. Not usually something that Jace would pass up, but I made him because I like keeping you on your toes. Anyways, thank you all so much for the reviews, I always read them and I kinda like sharing some of them with you guys so that you know where I get kind of these suggestions. Also, if you haven't heard Opus 23 by Dustin O'Halloran, do so, it's a lovely song. Again, I'll probably write a new chapter as soon as I post this because I feel like I'm on a roll. It's kinda hard figuring out what the two of them could do being trapped because without electricity, there's only so much to do and I wouldn't hook up someone I never really knew that well after three days, ya know? I'm tryna keep it realistic instead of rushing into some tongue down throat action lmaoooo. Keep an eye out for another update, it's still early in the night for me.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, I just saw and I've had officially 1,000 views on the first chapter, which I don't really know the difference between views and visitors, but that's insane to me! Maybe not wild to some writers on here if they have a lot of stories and followers, but considering I had just started like, what, three days ago, that's really amazing to me. OMG and I've been listening to Without The Lights by Elliot Moss and I highly recommend it. It's lovely. I didn't think that many people would read this, and maybe not everyone continued the story, but still kinda wild to me. Anyways, let's get on with it, shall we?**

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Bed sheets tucked in and wrinkleless in the middle of the room, the window opened with the blinds pulled up showing the white outside lit the room up. A book shelf on the left wall with books lined neatly, not a book pulled too far out and no book pushed too much in. A desk on the wall closest to the door with a laptop closed and a stack of papers tucked in one of the cubby holes contrasting against the dark wood. Pictures hung above it on the white wall, all spaced evenly as if each individual photograph and art peice was measured. A dark dresser on the wall opposite of the bed had its drawers all pushed in, a plane framed mirror hanging above it. Clary felt as if she had stepped into a _Better Homes and Gardens_ magazine. There was a nightstand on left of the bed with a lamp on it and an alarm clock, a book set on the table top and even that was set perfectly straight.

Jace grabbed some pins and hung her art work with the rest of the images that were hung above the desk, he had it flat against the wall and moved it slowly to get it spaced just right with the rest. Clary was flattered, beyond heartfelt that he was so eager to hang her art.

"Y-you don't have to hang it up now." She mocked, but also was still in a state of shock that he would hang it already. She noticed that the way the sunlight from outside angled through the window, the time must have been mid afternoon, realizing that she slept in today.

He looked at her, "Sure I do." He stepped back and looked at it, Clary stepping next to him and looking at the photographs. There was a photo of a Golden Retreiver laying in the grass, a photo of a lookout of a city, looked like California to her. There was a black and white poster of the musician Big Jay McNeely leaning on the stage playing a saxophone with audience members cheering him on, as well as a colored photo of a young Alec, Isabelle, and Jace sitting on a couch dressed in button ups and Izzy in a pale pink floral dress, all holding Easter Baskets. Jace sitting in the middle with his hair nearly white and curling in a mess while he puffed up his cheeks and Izzy and Alec on the side of him both with wide toothless smiles. He looked so out of place between the two of them, not capturing any of their dark features that Alec and Izzy shared. He was so light and they were both dark, and the opposite of how they looked as a family didn't make sense to Clary. A framed photo of their parents smiling in a professional photograph, their father, Robert, having a handlbar mustach and their mother, Maryse, with curled hair, obviously an photo from before children based on their style.

Beside that photo was a photo of a woman and a man, the two looking more like Jace than Robert and Maryse did. The woman with a wide open mouthed smile in laughter, her hair golden and curled while the man holding her in his arms looking down at her lovingly also with blond hair. If they _did_ have a child, Jace would be theirs.

"You're adopted, aren't you." Clary didn't ask, she stated when it clicked in her head.

Jace looked at her, the smile gone from his face. When Clary didn't look back at him, he looked at the photograph that she was staring at.

He pushed his hair out of his face, "I thought Izzy told you... or at least that it was obvious."

Clary stared at the photo, the woman with golden eyes, the corners by her long lashes wrinkled in delight and her cheeks clearly full of color. The man had the same golden eyes, darker though, almost brown but the light in the photo had given them the glitter. It looked like the man and woman could have been related, but their different face structures showed differently. Hers jaw still sharp, but her nose small and her cheekbones high, a large forehead and thin eyebrows. The man had larger features, a crooked nose that was ever so slightly too big, big eyes and a wide mouth. The woman was the delicacy that helped compare to his strong features.

"What happened to them?" Clary then looked down, "If you don't mind me asking...?"

Jace touched his hair again and Clary looked at him, now he was looking at the photo instead of her.

"They died in a car accident, going Christmas shopping while I stayed with the Lightwoods. We practically were related, our parents being such good friends. So, while they watched over me, they got hit. It was an icy day and couldn't stop at the stoplight. They just barrelled through the traffic." She watched his Adam's apple bob, his throat sounding hard as his throat tightened at the memory.

"I'm so sorry, Jace." She touched his arm, he jumped at the suddenness and looked at her now. His eyes were sad but not in pain, darkening even in the light from the window.

"It was years ago, I was just a baby."

Clary turned her brows, "It's still a hard thing to accept."

He looked back at the picture, swallowing hard again.

"It's hard to miss someone you didn't know." He tried to cover.

Clary looked at the photograph now, it was clear to see that they were in love with each other. It was a perfect photo, even with the person taking the photo's thumb was in it at the corner, it was still clear that it didn't matter what flaws either of them had, they loved each other and more than likely loved Jace.

"It's still possible to miss an important part of life."

She could feel him look at her but she didn't return the look.

"I'd say I didn't miss too much. Maryse and Robert took me in after the accident. I was apart of their family before I lost mine, so it was easy for me to fit in. I was born only a few months before Izzy, so I was just another brother to her. I owe them my life for taking me in. They're the most generous people in the world." Jace's tone was soft again, reminiscing in the memories that Maryse and Robert still gave him even if he wasn't blood. "They treated me as their own, it didn't matter to them that I wasn't really theirs, I had always been apart of them since my parents."

Clary looked at Jace again, the sadness gone and the hope made his dark eyes glow now.

"What were their names?" She asked, she wasn't afraid of asking too many questions or pushing him, she felt that he was comfortable talking about it to her in the way his voice stayed steady.

"Stephen and Celine." He answered.

She smiled and looked at the picture again, Jace joining her gaze.

"You look a lot like them, your mom especially." She said.

"That's what Maryse tells me. She says I have her laugh and her musical talent." Clary could hear the soft smile in his voice.

She kept her eyes on the photo, studying it, analyzing their features. She froze when she felt his calloused long hand link through her fingers. She looked down at their linked fingers, their hands looking like two children. Then she looked at him.

She stiffened more as the look on his face made her heart surface to her throat.

His eyes were lazy but were glowing as the light from the window hit them and the dark lashes creating a shadowed ring, his mouth open slightly, lips wet from being licked. His jaw tightened and relaxed twice, his shoulders low and his head bent. He took a step so that their bodies were facing each other more. His free hand lifted to a strand of hair that covered her right eye, his eyes watching his fingers twist the curled lock before he tucked it behind her ear, his hand holding her there. With instinct, she leaned into his hand without meaning to, and she flushed with her reaction. His thumb stroked her cheekbone, the very tip touching her bottom lashes before he started to lean in. She could smell toothpaste and pepper on his breath and felt the warmth of his breath as he became closer.

He stopped moving for a second, looking into her eyes just once to make sure that their proximity was acceptable for what seemed like an eternity to Clary as her heart raced and the blood in her veins boiled. Her thoughts were a scrambled mess, not making clear of how close his face was to hers. She could feel his lips brush against hers like a feather, barely there but still apparent. Their noses skimmed each other, she could feel the intense heat from his face radiate off of him, and she wondered if his blood boiled like hers.

Sucking in her breath, her heart growing impatient as it beat hard in chest, feeling like it would explode as she closed the distance between them herself.

* * *

 **Finally.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Last chapter was probably the first chapter in this entire story that I actually reread twice and fixed any errors. I wanted the moment to be perfect, I know what it's like to read a part so delicate and it being messed up by misspelled words and incorrect grammer. I don't know, I'm picky about moments and in wanting to capture them precisely. But damn, took me long enough to get it. I just got like 3 reviews in a row where people said that they didn't understand that when I say I update regularly, that I mean multiple chapters in day and that their in awe that I posted another chapter once they finish the last chapter. I want to get it done for readers, I hate waiting, so I try not to make others wait. I don't know, that's just what I do. Maybe I should chill and make you all wait in anticipation, but I can't. Even** ** _I'm_** **too excited to see what I put down next. Rambling, jump in friends.**

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At first his lips were stiff against hers, caught off guard that she had closed the distance instead of him. They were both stiff and didn't move their mouths really, both bathing in the feeling of their hot lips against each other.

Then they relaxed.

Jace's fingers twisted in her hair, the curled locks twirling around like snakes again, as if her hair knew that's where the locks belonged. His mouth moved against hers first, lips over lips, heat on top of heat, and strength over delicacy. The image of Jace's biological parents came to mind when she had compared them to each other.

Jace's hand slipped out of Clary's and place his hand against her hip. Her now freed hand came to his stomach and grabbed his shirt, the cotton in her hand was soft and warm. Her other hand slipping to his hair. She was moving then, Jace pushing her backwards until she felt the wall press against her back softly. She gasped at the same time she leaned into the wall and his tongue slid across her bottom lip asking for entrance. She accepted, their hot wet tongues tasting together in a choreographed dance. His hand gripped her hip tighter as her shirt lifted enough that his fingers gripped her flesh. Both of them on instinct grabbing each others hair and pulling each other closer. Clary didn't think she could be any closer to him unless they were to cut each other open and become one, a demented thought, but she couldn't get close enough to him.

His body pushed into her, trapping her between the wall and his tall stature. Her hand at his belly sliding to his shoulder and pulling his body closer. He let go of her hip and lowered himself, mouth still synced to hers as he hoisted her up until she had her legs propped up to his hips, his body pushing into her more. Clary didn't think she could be pushed into the wall anymore, but Jace kept doing it. For a second she was afraid they would burst through the wall, but her thoughts were quickly distracted as his teeth pulled at her bottom lip, a sigh escaping her throat. Jace's hand was spread across her upper thigh, feeling large as he gripped her joggers, the heat she felt making the room actually feel cold for once.

Her sigh made him move, taking the hand that tangled in her hair keep her up as he pulled her from the wall. His hot wet lips still nipping at hers as he moved about his room.

She realized that she was falling, but Jace kept one hand now behind her knee and another around her, an open palm at her back to stop her from leaving his body. His bed now underneath them as he lifted her and moved her back so that they were near the top of the bed. Clary kissed him fervously and giggled as he pushed her up with him, a smile against her mouth as they laughed.

Finally in position, Jace's hips between her open legs as her ankles hooked around his waistband to keep him close to her. He grabbed her hair again but pulled so that their lips broke for the first time, her neck lengthening and her back arching as she relished in the tugging at her scalp. A moan slipped from the deepest part of her lungs as he kissed hungrily at her jaw and then her neck, sucking lightly just above her collar bone. Her hands tightened in his hair, her nails scratching at his scalp. Now he was the one with his chest vibrating as he moaned.

She pulled him back to his mouth, desperate hot kisses. She needed him like he was air and she basked knowing that he was treating her the same. His hand slipped under the hem of her sweater and gripped her waist, fingers digging into her flesh again. She tightened her legs around him keeping him closer.

Clary's breath was shakey as she pulled at his shirt, begging to feel his skin under her fingertips. He pulled away and grabbed at his shoulders, pulling the white cotton off. She swallowed as she saw the burning desperation that gleamed in his eyes, making his cheeks glow and his mouth red and swollen as he dipped back to her and kissed her. She felt like he had swallowed her whole form, her entire being needing Jace to never stop.

Jace's hips bucked into her as she moved one hand to his back, scratching long lines up his back. Her other hand scratching from his lower back around his waist to his ribs. He moaned louder and pressed into her. His hands were touching her, under her shirt by her ribs, over her butt and gripping her thighs, needing to feel every inch of her. It wasn't clear, but Clary thought she heard Jace whisper her name as she scratched over the scar that protruded from his skin on his hip bone.

Her shirt was lifted over her belly button and was only inching higher and higher as Jace savored the feeling of her skin in his hands. Softer than fresh powdered snow and hot like volcano lava. Clary looked down, her eyes seeming drunk as she pulled away from Jace and grabbed the hem of her shirt and pulled it off.

He gulped and swallowed her nearly bare upper body. Her skin pale like the ice outside, freckles scattered across her skin like the night sky. The curves of her body flawless as her gentle skin flattened over delicate bone. He wanted to stare at her forever. Wanted to revel in the way her bright hair looked like flames against his dark bed sheets, flat above her head from pulling her shirt off. Her eyes dreamy and her mouth red, cheeks and chest the same pink. Her waist where he had been gripping was bright red. She wore a pale blue bra and he didn't care if she had stopped him, the image that he sewed into his memory would make him the happiest man alive.

"Jace." Clary's soft voice snapped him back to their activity. He wasn't sure if where he was, was real. He looked at her face, her cheeks brighter and her expression nervous. Her throat bobbed from swallowing hard.

"You're absolutely stunning, Clarissa." He said. He knew she had only said his name, but he could tell that she was self conscious. She didn't need to be, she was perfect.

Her eyes widened as she looked him in the eyes.

She was so safe to him. He was never able to talk about his parents to anyone really. Not even Aline had had the comfort that Clary gave him. She was understanding and helped him feel accepted. He wasn't scared to open up to her, wasn't scared to show her even the darkest parts of him. He only was freightened that he would make her be afraid of him, and he never wanted that.

"God, you're beautiful." He whispered, his fingers stroked her jaw.

She looked down, "You're only saying that because I have my shirt off."

He smiled, "I mean, yes." She looked at him in disbelief, "But you're perfect no matter what you wear. You're perfect with your words and heart. You really are something, Clary."

She stared, her hand touching his cheekbone. He closed his eyes and leaned into her palm, her skin soft and hot against his face.

He felt her move as she kissed him, this time soft instead of the hungry kissing they had been doing.

She tasted his skin, felt his heat in every part of her skin and even through her clothes. Clary could have been wearing a garbage bag and it seemed that Jace would have looked at her the same way. No one had said the things he'd said to her, no one looked at her the way he did just now. Her heart expanded and her skin tingled. They kissed slowly, this time needing each other to be the glue that kept each other in one piece. The kiss to mend each other's broken parts. And as corny as Clary discovered it was, she knew that he wouldn't turn her away or lie to her.

He pulled away and looked at her, eyes still glowing.

"I'm not going to push you to do anything you aren't comfortable with, I want you to know that, Clary." He said, his voice low but unshaken.

She stared again, then kissed him hard. Her hands in his hair again as she kept him there. She felt his hands touch her stomach, her back, grip her arms and knead her hips.

She grabbed his hand and moved it slowly to the string of her pants, his body stiffening and his eyes snapping open.

She opened her eyes and looked at his alarmed face.

Clary smiled, "We're not having sex, but, god damn these pants are not my size." He laughed and pulled the string loose.

She lifted her hips and shimmied her legs, Jace helping her kick off the oversized pants that were tied too tight around her hips. He looked down, Clary blushing at the Victoria's Secret lingerie she was wearing thanks to Isabelle.

They didn't match her bra, but they were dark gray and full panties. Clary was thankful that she chose the last pair for full underwear before needing to wear the lacy and sheer thongs in the gift. Black rimmed the outter part of her panties, and they had a criss cross ribbon on the sides, exposing her skin. She looked at Jace who's eyes were nearly popping out of his head and his Adam's apple bounced as he swallowed. His cheeks burned as bright as her hair. She bit her lip and smiled as he whispered a swear under his uneven breath.

Clary was delighted that she had such an effect on someone like Jace.

Jace was delighted that she had such an effect on him.

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 **The End**

 ** _NO, I'M TOTALLY KIDDING PLEASE DON'T LEAVE_. There's no way I'd just end it here, even I have too many questions still to end it there of all places. Plus, we're just getting started.**

 **I kinda combinded POV's here, and I felt like it was kinda important that I did. It made their first real moment together actually synchronized ya know? Like jumping in and out of both of their thoughts but also being outside of their thoughts. The choas of their heated moment intertwining and the choas of their thoughts and jumping in and out of Clary's POV and Jace's POV and being the outside of both of them's POV. Do you know what I mean? I didn't really think about it until after I reread it, cause like I said, I like to make the big moments really tidy and make them perfect.**

 **It's about midnight right now, so I may or may not update one more chapter today, but I don't know, I stay up really late. Just keep an eye out. When I say "I'll be starting the next chapter after I post it," I literally mean it. I actually start the next chapter right after I post the last one. So thankful for the reviews, I never ask for a certain amount before posting another chapter, I think it's silly to ask for it. The fact that it's gotten as much attention as it has is the reason why I post more than once a day. Thank you so much for the feedback and the views. You all rock. Gonna start the next chapter, keep an eye out if I do post tonight, maybe I'll go to bed at a reasonable time lmaoooo**


	13. Chapter 13

**I've been writing a lot in these author notes because I keep rambling. So let's dive in before I go on and on about unrelated shit.**

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The covers were silky against Jace's bare skin, but Clary's skin was even silkier against his. Eventually their thirst for each other became a thirst for actual liquid. They had left the bed only for a short time to get food in their bellies and to get ready for bed since the sky was dark. Their mouths red and puffy from their aggressive kisses, their bodies touched with pink splotches like splatter paint, and their hair tangled and wild. Clary had her head on Jaces shoulder, his cheek against the top of her head and every time he breathed her hair would stir and tickle his cheekbone. He didn't mind. His arm was tucked underneath Clary, his hand at the curve of her hip as he traced circles on her soft skin, sometime pulling at the elastic of her panties just to feel untouched skin. His other hand played with her fingers across his chest, linking and unlinking their fingers, tugging lightly at her nails, or tracing the lines of her palm. Her legs hitched and tangled in his, his sweat pants had come off shortly after hers, but his boxer briefs stayed on to keep Jace's word on how he wouldn't try anything she wasn't comfortable with. The sound of her giggles when they had made the desperate kissing light hearted made his heart expand. They rolled in his bed, messing his sheets until they were finally under them together.

He could feel her heartbeat against his ribs, feeling it touch his bones like a drum. They hadn't gone farther than their make out, but Jace didn't mind at all. Her kisses made him feel high, no other drug could compare to the addiction of kissing her.

The two had just been chatting, Jace wanting know Clary's favorite color and when her birthday was, he wanted to know the littlest details about her. Jace found glory in noticing quirks about her, like the feeling of her heart sputtering when she talked about something she enjoyed a lot, or when her lashes tickled his pec when she blinked a lot because she was trying to remember something. He cared for her. It seemed ridiculous, even to him, that the last three days they had gotten so close to each other that he wouldn't care if the snow ever melted. He could spend eternity in his bed with her.

She was quiet a moment, he looked at her fingers as he laced and unlaced them together in his hand, his other hand pulled lightly at her panties and her heart beat an extra beat when he did. He smiled.

"Jace..." Clary moved to look at him, her eyes bright and her skin glowing. The room was very dimly lit, they had to light candles around his room to get any light as the sun went down.

"Clarissa?" Jace asked, his face pulled in a soft smile as he gazed at her. Another off beat of her heart against his ribs. He knew he would never tire of her heartbeat.

"Can I ask you something?"

He smiled, "I mean, you just did, but you can certainly ask me something else."

She rolled her eyes but smiled.

She laid her head back down, all of a sudden her hand was flat on his chest. Then she moved her hand downward. Now Jace's heart was beating unevenly as her fingers made a trail down his ribs to his hip. He swallowed the moan that threatened to escape from his lips from the feeling of her nails scratch lightly on his skin.

Then she stopped, touching a familiar spot on his hip. His thick scar.

"What happened?" She asked, quiet, walking on eggshells and afraid she was over stepping a line.

Jace didn't give her a line to cross, she didn't need one.

"Believe it or not, I got it in a car accident." The memory of the accident playing in his head.

Clary sat up on her elbow, a chill touching the skin that she had left on him. He looked at her sweetly, the only way she should ever be looked at was what Jace thought.

Her eyes were wide, "What happened?" She repeated.

Jace kept his arm around her but lifted his hand to her wild hair. He twisted his finger around a curled piece that was close to her temple, getting a touch of her skin.

"I was being reckless." He started, Clary frowned but he went on. "I was hurt after Aline dumped me. It was also an inconvient time that I was in an argument with Alec and Izzy sided with him, I honestly don't even remember what the argument was about. Maryse and Robert had been talking about moving with us and I felt like everything was happening all at once. I wasn't in the right state of mind, it was near the anniversary of my parents' death, it was bad."

Clary stroked Jace's cheek, he leaned into her feeling the comforting gesture being sent straight to his heart.

"I was driving too fast and a deer ran out and I jerked the car and flipped. I only flipped a few times, but I have a nice scar to remind me of it. It was rough. I broke my arm and had to get screws in." Jace grabbed Clary's hand that touched his face and pressed her fingers into his flesh of his arm, she gasped. He knew she could feel the unnatural bumps of the bolts in his arm. He let go but her arm touched the scar she seemed to have not noticed before.

"Moral of the story, don't drive when you're upset." He chuckled to himself, but Clary didn't laugh. She looked at him, her eyes sad and her mouth tight. Jace touched the corner of her mouth with just the tip of her finger.

"Do you think of Aline...?" She whispered. The question stopped him, not expecting her to ask such a question.

He smiled, his heart filling again.

"I think of you." He said.

She blushed and looked away, but then came back to look at him.

"Of course you do _now_." She pulled at one of his curls. He laughed and rolled closer to her, wrapping his other arm around her and holding her close. She giggled as he burried his face in her neck and kissed her skin.

"I always thought about you, just not like this." Jace didn't lie, he was honest with her. He had only thought about her in two ways, the first being purely about sexual activities, the second of being envious of her.

"Not like what?" She was under him now, her hair splayed out on the bed, her knee lifted so that she cradled the side of him.

"I mean, I've told you before that I was jealous of your easy relationship with Izzy and Alec, and that I've thought about doing a lot more with you," Jace kissed her neck again, Clary's fingers instinctively scratched at his head. "But I've never really thought about you like this. Like holding you and tickling you and really talking to you, you know. I love it a lot more than what I used to think about you."

Clary's eyes looked at him, and not just his eyes, but his face. He watched her analyze the curves and lines of his face. He knew she was begging to draw, another quirk that he noticed about her was that when she wanted to draw an image, he hand twitched and she a had a focused look. Her eyes squinted ever so slightly and she would linger on specific lines and dart around to follow the movement her pen would make if she were drawing. Jace couldn't get enough of it, and as much as he wanted to get her a pen and paper, he didn't want her to leave his arms.

Instead, he leaned down and kissed her lightly, her breath sucking in as he did. It wasn't a long kiss, but it was enough that Clary moved under him so that she fit into him better, he could tell she wanted more, wanted him to deepen his kiss and wanted him to grab at her. It took all of Jace's might to not fit into her more, to not touch the silk that was her skin. He pulled away looking down at her, her cheeks were pink and she looked lightheaded.

Rolling with Clary, Jace got them close to his nightstand. He leaned over to check the time, it was nearly midnight. They had spent most of their day kissing and talking and Jace wouldn't have wanted to spend it any other way.

"What time is it?" She asked once he set his watch down. She was on top of him now, his arm still tight around her so she wasn't to escape. Her body was light on his, he still couldn't get over the feeling of her skin, it drove him mad and he knew that Jace could be locked up in a looney bin if he couldn't feel her skin again.

"Just about midnight." Clary's eyes widened.

"Wow, time sure flies by when you're snowed in." She smiled, Jace smiled with her and kissed her jaw.

He rolled them again so that she was on the bed, but his body still held hers tight.

She was looking in his eyes, one hand touching his fresh stubble.

"I didn't think you could be like this." She said quietly.

He kissed her fingers, "Like what?" He asked.

Her lips turned up as Jace kissed her fingers, and he could forever if it kept a smile on her face.

"Like anything other than a player." She giggled quietly, but soon her smile faded and she looked distressed. Jace worried, distraught at the thoughts that made her smile fade.

"What's taken your smile, beautiful?" He whispered, half afraid of what she would say but half needing to know so he could put the negative thoughts at bay.

She looked down, then up through her lashes.

"What's going to happen once the snow melts?" She whispered. Jace knew what she meant. She was worried about him turning her away, going to someone else once they were free from these walls.

He kissed her again, hard but full before pulling away before she melted into him.

"The flowers will bloom and the grass will be green but I'll lock the door so we can't leave."

Clary touched the corner of his mouth and smiled at him, he hoped she understood what he meant. With one last stroke of his cheek, Clary shifted closer to him. Her head under his chin as Jace pulled her closer, her arms touching his heart and starting to fall asleep to the beat of his heart.

Jace was falling for her, and he didn't think it was possible to fall for someone after three days, but Clary was unpredictable, and he loved her for it.

* * *

 **Goals. Like actually.**

 **LMAO** reemarie36 **FOR SAYING "** Are you or have u been snowed in recently? Because this seems pretty personal. Lol. **" No friend, unfortunately I haven't experienced something like this.**

 **Anyways, it's 2am, and I'm sleepy. I wanna say that this story is almost done, but idk yet. Always so beyond appreciative of your reviews and any suggestions are always considered by me. I really do beam when I read them, I've read them all like 100 times. Idk, I've never been good at showing my writing to others and I don't know why I haven't because I've been getting only good feedback. I'd still be happy about the review even if you told me that I was a shit writer and that I was trash LMAO, but i hope that doesn't happen. I'm off, I'll update tomorrow after I do the things I was supposed to do yesterday and today, like edit my YouTube video (subscribe for new videos ever week LMAO get it, cause I'm tryna be a YouTuber? LMAO I hate myself). God I hate myself LOLLOL Good night friends.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Goodmorning friends**

* * *

The sun had made Clary's eyes pink as she slept, waking her from her nights rest. She sighed which caused a movement beside her, hot arms tightening around her and holding her close to a hot bare body. Clary blinked slowly, her vision clearing as she wiped the sleep from her eyes. A smile on her face from the moment she awoke as last nights events washed over her.

Jace, his sleeping body holding her breathed in her air did not move when she did, but kept her caged to him. The sky was actually clear today from what Clary saw out the window, sunlight coming through the sky telling her it was still morning. The light touched past Jace's eyes and rested just at his cheekbones, giving new angles to his face. Clary looked at him, the feeling of the sunlight on her back as she turned to face him and study his sleeping face.

He looked like a child, the peace on his face removed the worry lines and showed subtle laugh lines at the corners of his mouth. This was even more of a peaceful face then when he'd looked at her with sweetness. Clary wanted to touch him, feel the bone of his nose and the way his jaw was structured. She itched for a pen and paper, but revelled in his arms instead. Clary hoped the snow would never melt.

His skin soft and hard but the strength Jace had held her like she was so fragile, that the smallest movement could break her. Clary was afraid she would shatter if she realized it was all a dream.

She watched him sleep, feeling sleepy again as she watched him. Snuggling closer to him, she fell back asleep for just a little while longer, wanting the dream to never end and return her back to reality.

* * *

Circles had been traced on her lower back, a continuous motion that tickled her but didn't make her move away. She smiled and sighed, smelling Jace's scent of his skin. He smelled of sleep and sunlight, nothing had smelled sweeter in her entire life. Fluttering her eyes open to Jace's golden orbs gazing back at her. He studied her sleeping face the way she had earlier. A smile already soft on his mouth had grown when she'd woken, his lips touching her hair.

"Goodmorning." He whispered into her hair. Clary smiled and melted into Jace. Their legs wrapped around each other and his arms still embracing her. His skin like Egyptian cotton around her as he stroked her back.

Her head was tucked under his chin as she drew patterns on his bare chest with the tips of her fingers, touching lighter than a feather to make sure that she couldn't shatter the moment. He shuddered under her light touch.

Jace pulled back to look at her.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her. Clary didn't want to answer and have him leave, but her stomach spoke for her. They both laughed and she buried her head in the crook of his neck. Jace kissed her forehead and started to pull away, Clary instincively grabbing his arms causing him to freeze.

She shook her head when he looked at her in alarm.

"I'm not ready yet." She said quietly, embarrassed she had become suddenly so clingy. He stared for a moment and then a smile spread across his face as he came back to her and pulled her even tighter around him.

He was so warm to her, even the lack of clothes and the slight drop in temperature in the room didn't matter. He was her fire and she envellopped herself in his heat. A slow rise and fall of his torso against her face and the soft thudding of his heart like a lullaby as she pressed her ear to his chest. His fingers wrapped in her hair, finding the curlliest locks and having his hands get lost in the tangled disaster.

After a moments embrace, Jace's stomach was the one to growl, the both of them laughing and finally releasing each other unwillingly. Jace offered to make breakfast again while Clary showered and she thanked him.

She caught him staring at her as she removed herself from the bed, still in her bra and panties as she gathered her sweater. She wore only the sweater as she made her way to Izzy's bathroom, the bedroom still ice. Clary shivered and checked the window.

She gawked when she noticed the _was_ window slightly open, the cold air that seeped through the cracked window making the glass wet. Clary frowned and shut the window in disbelief that she hadn't seen it before. The closed window still wouldn't stop her from staying with Jace though. The sun shined from the blue sky, the snow looking like glitter. Clary had noticed that the ice had melted a little, lampposts dripping and tree branches making appearances. Still, there was too much snow to be able to walk around, the heighth coming to her hips would make it nearly impossible to get anywhere. Clary wasn't in any rush.

She showered quickly and stepping out, it was still dark without power, but she was able to see enough to brush her teeth and change back into her sweater and bra and a new pair of underwear. She regretted leaving her pants in Jace's room as the last of the underwear that Izzy had bought was nothing but a lot of sheer and little cloth. Clary settled for a pair of red silk _very_ cheeky underwear. Lace around the edges and a criss crossed ribbon at the back, and a small bow at the front. She blushed and was thankful for the largeness of her sweater that hung just below her butt.

She brushed through her hair, taking longer than usual because of how tangled it was.

Once the hair brush was a red pile of hair, Clary took one last look in the low lit mirror. Her skin glowing pale against the darkness, her eyes wide and her lips slightly swollen. A small bruise like mark on her collarbone and she blushed at the memory of Jace's lips sucking at her skin.

She shook her head, needing to tuck the hair that fell in her face behind her ear as finally stepped out. The blood in her veins rushing from the little clothing that covered her body.

Jace's back was to her in the kitchen, a small fire building at the furnace. She was thankful that he had slipped on pajama pants because the thoughts that invaded her brain would have been much worse if he had stayed in his boxer briefs. All Clary wanted was to turn him around and attack him, ravish his mouth and feel his bare flesh on her again. The ideas whirling in her mind made her surprised at herself.

Jace stopped stirring the leftover pancaked mix and turned when she shut the door behind her, now keeping the cold trapped in Izzy's room so she would still have an excuse to sleep in Jace's bed.

Eyes widening and Adam's apple bobbing, Jace looked her over. Clary pulled at her hair watching Jace's eyes rake over her body, her heart sputtering and her cheeks burning.

Jace leaned against the counter but reached a hand to her. She took it and he pulled her to him hard, her body hitting his as his arms snaked around her. She bowed her body into him as his lips found hers, the taste of toothpaste on his tongue and the smell of burning wood on his skin. Her hands found his hair as she snaked her fingers around his curls the way his hands did to her hair. The tips of his fingers digging into her back and his opposing hand grabbing the hem of her oversized sweater, lifting it so her underwear exposed. He sighed when he brushed the lace, Clary's heart shaking.

Jace moved them, spinning them so that now her back was to the counter. He broke away and lowered himself, his eyes staying locked on hers as he moved his arms just under her butt and lifted her gently, setting her down to be seated on the counter. The cold surface growing goosebumps on Clary's legs as she shivered, opening her legs for Jace to stand between. He growled as he pulled her to the edge, ankles hooking behind Jace. Hands kneading at her ass, Clary shivered again as his skin touched unmarked territory because of how cheeky her new underwear was. Her nails raking into his back, now Jace shivering at the feeling. Clary's free hand at his bicep as she could feel him flex and unflex, pulling him to her more and more. The world could have caught on fire and it still would not compare to the heat that Clary felt between the two of them. His free hand grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled down, her neck becoming exposed as his lips sucked at her jaw, licked at her throat, and kissed the bruise mark at her collar. Clary sighed in delight and she felt goosebumps on Jace's arm rise.

Jace's lips were at her ear now, his teeth grazed her earlobe and Clary's legs tightened around him.

"I just can't get enough of you." He whispered breathlessly, his hot breath stirring her hair and tickling her neck.

Clary grabbed his jaw, her nails in his cheeks as she pulled him back to her mouth, kissing him hard and desperate. The thrill of being in control and having such power over Jace made her high. He had just as much control over her, and he knew it, but he let her take the reins.

The sound of a deep rumbling made them freeze, their lips locked and their eyes both staring at each other as their stomachs growled.

Their lips broke apart and they laughed, Clary setting her forehead on Jace's shoulder as she felt him shake under her. His laughter brought joy to her heart, and she couldn't help but giggle with him.

Jace put his hand behind her ear and lifted her head, his eyes watered with tears of laughter, his smile wide enough to show off his chipped tooth and laugh lines deep in his skin.

He kissed her nose once and stroked her bottom lashes with his thumb as she leaned into his hot palm.

"Maybe we should eat before our stomachs keep interrupting us." He laughed, and Clary nodded. He touched her knees and moved his hands up her thighs and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips as she unhooked her ankles, giving him freedom once again.

* * *

 **This was actually really hard to write and I think it's just cause I'm sleepy. I woke up really early after going to bed really late, but maybe a nap will help. As usual, thank you so much for the reviews, I still become a giddy little school girl when I see them. I always read them and I always take into consideration if you have suggestions or anything you'd like to read in the story, that kinda thing. I'll start the next chapter after a quick nap. No rambling.**


	15. Chapter 15

**This is actually becoming a longer story than I initially planned, which isn't exactly a bad thing, but I just wasn't planning on it. Also, I was kinda thinking about writing something else after I finish this, I just don't know what. Like I don't have an idea for a plot kind of thing and I want to keep writing other things. If you have any suggestions or anything that you'd like to be read by me, by all means, let me know. I always read comments and messages, so if you want to read a specific plot, hmu. Onward.**

* * *

Three more days passed, the snow melting slowly, but every day it was noticable that there was becoming a change in the amount of snow. They stopped gazing out the window to the white wonderland, their eyes only on each other as the sun beamed down on the sparkling snow. Jace and Clary's days had been filled with passionate kisses and heartfelt conversations, both discovering new things about each other as the days passed. They were in their own little world in the four walls that surrounded them, skin on skin and hearts thudding in a sychronized beat.

They laid in bed, Clary leaning on the back wall with pillows propped up for her comfort as Jace laid between her legs, his head on her stomach and his arms wrapped around her waist. His eyes closed and face tilted up to Clary as she held a notepad on her lifted knee, the pen in her hand trying to capture Jace's peaceful expression. She had ripped and crinkled four different drawings, Jace rubbing her sides in comfort as she grumbled to herself. It had almost been a week since the snow storm, but the two could have cared less about being free. They still had food and enough wood to last them another week. They had to put their refridgerated items out the window on the ledge to stay cold and unspoiled.

"What's got your pretty little face all upset?" Jace asked, his eyes opened in slits to look at her.

Clary put a hand over his eyes and she felt his lashes close on her palm.

" _You_ because you keep moving." She snapped, going back to her drawing. Frustration boiled her blood as she tried for the fifth time to draw Jace's face.

He smiled but didn't open his eyes, "You know, it's probably because you're only drawing in pen."

"Hush, I can use anything." Clary grumbled. She couldn't quite get Jace's features the way she wanted, always making him look like someone else or making him look like a wax figure instead of human.

His bare upper body was hot on her legs, but she enjoyed the feeling. His hair was still damp as it laid across her sweatered stomach, curling at the ends more as it dried.

Clary groaned and threw the notepad across the room, hitting the door with a thud she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

Jace laughed and sat up, his arms on either side of her as he hovered over Clary. He kissed the spot below her ear.

"Don't be mad, not everyone can capture my beauty." He chuckled in her ear.

Clary placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away.

"If you're gonna be an asshat then you don't get to kiss me." She crossed her arms again.

Jace smiled devilishly, his eyes darkening as he looked at Clary hungrily. She gulped.

He moved but she placed her foot at his chest to stop him and set her hands on the bed to prep herself.

"Did you not just hear me?" Clary's sassy confidence flew out the window as soon as he gazed at her, her voice shook and even she knew that she wasn't going to be able to stand her ground.

Jace's smile widened as he looked at her bare leg. She was still only wearing the sweater and suddenly was very aware that she was only in a pair of small cheeky panties.

He kissed her ankle when he wrapped his long fingers at the spot, pulling her leg to the side of him. She shuddered as his nose skimmed up her shin bone, kissing her knee. Clary thanked herself for shaving her legs quickly in the shower this morning as he kissed her thigh. His hands found the back of her knees.

He gave her a dark look as he pulled her towards him, Clary yelped at the suddenness.

His lips found hers in second, his elbows on either side of her to keep him from putting all of his body weight on top of her. Clary's hands were in his hair as he kissed her collarbone, sucked at her neck and kissed the little spot under her ear. His hands touching under her shirt at her ribs, feeling each indivdual bone as his fingertips played with the strap of her pale blue bra. His body dipped closer and Clary gasped in delight as her knees tightened around his hips, his pj pants low on his hips. Her hands roamed his torso, feeling the ridges of his ribs and the pad of her thumb feeling each individual ab. She drew him as if her hands were were utinsel and his skin was the paper, getting each detail she was unable to capture on actual paper. Jace kissed her as she traced his scar on his hip, his tongue sweeping on her bottom lip as she opened her mouth. Wet kisses bruised their mouths and hot air being breathed in and out of their lungs.

The sunlight from his open blinds made her eyelids pink as she blindly kissed him. She knew his body better than her own. She wanted Jace, all of him. He took care of her and told her things she knew he didn't tell anyone else. He was the warmth in the middle of the snow storm and she felt safe in his arms.

She opened her mouth to speak, but to Jace she just took a much needed breath.

The loud bang of Jace's bedroom door being swung open and hitting the wall made them jump apart in fear. They sat up and saw Isabelle standing in the door way, her clothes wet and her boots snowey as her eyes buldged out of her head and her jaw hit the floor.

Clary and Jace were frozen where they were, their bodies in their arms.

Isabelle finally broke the silence, "Oh my God, I knew it."

* * *

 **Short chapter, but I think it was fine. I took a nap and now I feel better. I have some shit to do around the house though, so wait a little bit. Also, I was suggested that I should make this rated M, but like, it's not like their having sex and I'm detailing it, I'm just detailing their makouts. I don't know, should I make the rating M? I'm not really sure if it's quite worth of an M rating, ya know? Thank you for the reviews, they're so important to me and make me so damn happy. You're the highlight of my life right now, I'm not even kidding. I'm off for a bit, leave me suggestions if you want, I always read them and always take into consideration of what readers want to read you know. Thanks, loves.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Just wanted to thank everyone again for all the reviews and feedback, I'm honestly so beyond thankful I don't know how else to express it. I want to write a different plot after I finish this, but I don't know what to write. So if** ** _you_** **have any suggestions or want to read anything written by me, I'd be more than happy to take suggestions. Thanks fam.**

* * *

"What do you mean 'You knew it'?" Jace was the first one to speak. Jace was still above her and Clary was up on her elbows to look at Isabelle, her cheeks enflamed and praying that a whole would open up beneath her and swallow her whole.

A smile spread across Izzy's face, "I totally called it! I knew you two would hook up!"

Clary blushed more.

"I told Alec that this was a blessing in disguise, but Alec just said maybe you two would just become friends. But I told him, I toooolld him that you guys were gonna be at each other like rabbits. Oh, he owes me mad money." Izzy jumped up and down.

"You bet money on us?" Jace questioned.

"How the hell did you get here?" Clary spoke, ignoring Jace's question. Izzy was already staring at her, trying to telepathically speak to Clary but failing. Her long dark hair was straight, she didn't wear makeup because it had been left at home. Clary wondered if Izzy had intentionally gone to Simon's at the time of the snow storm on purpose or if it had just been a coincidence.

Izzy frowned and cocked her head, "Have you guys litterally been doing it so much that you haven't looked out the window?"

Clary's eyes widened.

Isabelle went on, "The snows melted enough that they're clearing the roads. There's still a lot of it, but it's enough to get around."

Jace and Clary looked at each other and then extended their necks to look outside. Izzy was right, a plow truck was making it's way down the white road pushing snow and leaving a trail of salt and gravel. The sidewalks were still decently empty, but there had been a few people milling outside. Children coming out to play in the sunshine and melting snow. They were quick to build their snowmans and have snowball fights before it was all gone, some people walking with bags of groceries and others wiping snow off their cars as the city came out to get to where they needed to be.

"So tell me," Izzy started. They looked back at her leaning against the door frame and crossing her arms, a devilish smile on her face, "I had a theory, but I could be wrong. But my first theory was definitely right," Izzy raised her eybrows, "Who made the first move?"

"Jace." Clary said.

"Clary." Jace said. They spoke at the same time, both looking at each other.

"If I remember correctly, you were the one that closed the distance first, Fray." Jace put his nose in the air.

Clary's mouth fell open. She grabbed his shoulder and pushed him to the side as he chuckled.

"If you two could stop being so cute, that'd be swell. And put some clothes on you nasties, Simon's coming up the steps. We don't want to scar him for life like you did to me." Izzy turned on her heels and left Jace's room, closing it just enough that it was cracked open, her boots being kicked against the wall by the door as she padded to her room. They heard the front door open and close, boots being shuffled off and padding.

Jace threw a pillow at her just as she left the door, "You did it to yourself, you never were good at knocking first!" Jace called to her before laying back down with a smile.

"Izzy?" It was Simon's voice that called, Clary gulped.

"In here!" She called. Clary watched as Simon's body pass by Jace's door through the crack. Clary's heart stopped and she stiffened in Jace's arms, afraid Simon would enter Jace's room. She knew he wouldn't, what reason would he have to check up on Jace? The only reason would be to see if Clary was in his bed. Isabelle was a blabber mouth, and Clary knew that Izzy would have confessed her theory about Jace and Clary to Simon, especially with them being together for the week. "Where is..." His voice began before shutting Izzy's bedroom door. Clary knew what he was asking and she put her hands in her hair.

Jace slung his arm around her waist and nuzzled into her side as she sat up.

"You're embarrassed to be seen with me, aren't you?" He kissed her hip.

Clary looked at him, his eyes not showing any signs of hurt, just curiousity, golden orbs staring back at her as he waited for an answer.

"No! No! I mean... you're definitely known as a player, so it looks exactly what people think it is." Clary stuttered. Jace sat up on his elbow, his arm still around her waist and now his lips touched her shoulder.

"I don't care what people _think_ it looks like." He said quietly into her skin.

He moved closer to her, releasing her waist and putting a finger under her chin as he pulled her to him. His lips touched hers lighter than a butterfly wing, then he pressed harder, nipping at her bottom lip.

The lights came on, illuminating the room. They both looked up. Had she really been so distracted by Jace that they hadn't noticed how much snow melted in the last few days, she wondered.

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss again, "C'mon then, best put something more appropriate on before Izzy bursts in again to find us groping each other."

He left the bed, the covers falling and showing his pj pants and his lined back as he picked up a shirt.

Clary huffed, "Only _you_ would try groping me when we have company."

He looked over his shoulder and winked at her, "Of course."

* * *

 **Another short chapter, but there you go. Merry Christmas Eve Eve. It isn't over yet, so don't fret. I don't know how much writing I'll get done the next few days, it being Christmas and all. Sorry I can't guarentee anything. I might set up a chapter or two, but I'll be spending time with my family, ya know. At least I'm warning you guys now then just dropping off the face of the Earth. Anyways, I love you're reviews and your suggestions, I always read them and refresh them and I'm just so beyond thankful at how much attention and how much love this is getting, I really didn't expect it. I literally haven't done any of the things I've been meaning to do - like edit my YouTube vid or clean my room LMAO - but I'll get there. Happy Holidays, I'll try to catch you guys later tonight or tomorrow. ILY**


	17. Chapter 17

**LMAO I've had a few reviews saying "Don't make us wait". ITS CHRISTMAS AND I'VE UPLOADED SEVENTEEN CHAPTERS IN 4 DAYS I NEED A LIFE YO! No, but actually that's really sweet that you want to read my stuff and you're so excited, but I'm warning you guys so you don't get upset when I'm MIA for two days. Not saying I won't update, but just that there's a possibility. I'm not gonna stop mid story, silly gooses. Anyways, dive in.**

* * *

Jace and Simon were putting the cold food back in the fridge since the power had come back on, the machine humming itself cool. Izzy and Clary had started a fire in the furnace, the flames slowly growing.

"So, when are you going to tell me about your week?" Izzy sat close to Clary and talked quietly, her eyebrows wiggling in a suggestive manner.

Clary looked at her then at the fire. "It's not a big deal."

Izzy slapped Clary's arm, Clary rubbing the pain that now became red on her skin.

"Are you kidding me? You hooked up with Jace! That's a huge God damn deal!" She whisper yelled, making it clear that she was annoyed at Clary but didn't want the boys to hear.

"Are you guys hungry?" Jace called over to the girls, they both turned their heads back.

"I know you two must be." Isabelle teased. Jace smiled and Clary glared at Izzy.

"Simon and I will start something." He winked.

Simon and Jace looked at each other uncomfortably, but started digging around in the cupboards.

Izzy turned back to Clary who refused to look at her.

"So how long did you guys wait until you slept together?" Izzy asked.

Clary gawked at her, "I'm actually in shock that you think I'd lose my _virginity_ to someone I hardly know in a _week_!"

Izzy shrugged, "From the way you two were earlier, I would _not_ say that you hardly know each other."

" _Isabelle!_ " Clary's jaw could have been to the floor.

Izzy looked at Clary in defense "What? I'm just saying, he didn't have a shirt on, you weren't wearing any pants, and you asked for the Victoria's Secret underwear!"

Clary shook her head, "That's because I didn't have any clean clothes with me for the week! I wasn't trying to seduce him!"

"I shouldn't have told you where they were, I certainly didn't have any clean clothes with me but that didn't seem to mind Simon." Izzy smiled devilishly.

"Oh my God, I'm going to be sick." Clary pretended to gag. Images that Clary did not want formed in her head and she shook them out. It wasn't that she was surprised that Izzy and Simon were sexually active, but she couldn't imagine just being nude around the house for a week.

"I'm just saying, Simon's got some tricks up his sleeves."

Clary put her hands up to Izzy, " _Please,_ I'm begging you."

Isabelle scooted closer, "I'll stop when you tell me what happened."

Clary sighed, "I-it just kinda happened. I don't know."

"Something that got you two as close as you were doesn't just _kinda_ happen."

Clary twisted her hair, she could hear the clanking of pots and pans and the opening and closing of the fridge in the kitchen. She had almost completely forgotten about the boys. Their low voices bickered here and there, never agreeing with each other.

"It _did_ just kinda happen. One minute we're talking and the next... he has me against the wall." Clary added the detail knowing that Izzy would get a kick out of it.

She indeed got excited, her eyes widening and her mouth in an open smile, "Oh my God, you dirty girl!"

"Shh, you're so loud."

Izzy giggled, "I can't help it! I didn't know you could be kinky, Clarissa Fray."

Clary tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and looked behind her. Jace was stading over the kitchen sink washing something, Simon at the stove stirring food in a pot. Jace looked up shortly after feeling her stare. He smiled at her, but it wasn't a flirty smile that he would send a girl to let her know that he was thinking the same thing as her. It was genuine pull of his lips, his golden eyes glowing and his cheeks getting pink. It was a smile of delicacy, and Clary began to wonder if he was the delicacy and Clary could be the strength. Jace was fragile at heart, losing a lot in his lifetime and being closed off to everyone. He had his secrets that kept him up at night but she was the one to help him feel safe.

"Holy shit." Izzy's words snapped her back to focus. Clary looked at her. She could almost hear the clicking sound that pieced in Isabelle's head.

"You _love_ him!" She said a little too loudly. Clary clamped her hand over Izzy's mouth, her voice becoming a mumble. She looked back at Jace who only raised an eyebrow, unsure of what Izzy had yelled.

Clary smiled reassuringly at him, but inside her heart was racing and her stomach fluttered.

She glared at Izzy, "I don't _love_ him, you're crazy. You don't just love someone after a week."

Clary moved her hand away from Izzy's mouth.

"Well he loves you."

Clary blinked.

"You're actually crazy." Clary laughed nervously.

Izzy raised an eyebrow and gave her a stern look.

"Clary, are you kidding me? Look at the way he looks at you. He looks at you like he's a blind man seeing the sun for the first time. Jace is _blushing_ everytime you're look at him or you're near him. I have _never_ seen Jace blush except for the time he got the chance to meet a famous pianist, uh... ugh, I don't remember their name. But what I'm saying is look at him!" Isabelle had her hands on Clary's shoulders and had shaken her a little.

Clary looked at Jace again, after a few seconds he looked back up at her. The genuine smile that he gave her again was already glued to his face. It hadn't disappeared even for the short time she looked away. His hair was in his eyes a little, but the golden orbs seemed to dance in the kitchen and the fire light. The corners of his eyes wrinkled and his laugh lines deepened. Jace looked like he was a child at Christmas the way his eyes sparkled, excited that Clary was giving him the time of day to even look at him. Clary swallowed and looked back at Izzy who was also looking at Jace, then looked back to her.

"You're being dramatic." Clary said, but even she didn't feel like her words were a lie.

"Clary, I really think Jace cares about you. He's terrible at hiding his emotions, he's an open book. Always has been. He's not a liar, even when we were kids and Alec had broken moms favorite vase. Alec asked Jace not to tell and Jace complained about it for two weeks, saying the lie was eating him alive. Jace finally told mom and him and Alec both got in trouble." Izzy giggled to herself, "I remember the look on his face when he told her and got punished, he looked like he'd seen an angel for the first time."

Clary looked down at her hands and played with her fingers.

"That kid is head over heels for you, I don't know if you drugged him, but that boy is in love with you." Isabelle repeated herself.

Clary looked up at Isabelle through her lashes, then back at Jace. Now he was to the side listening as Simon spoke, again, with the same grin still on his face even without meeting Clary's gaze.

* * *

 **Presh. It's still early, so I'll probably write the next chapter right after I post this. It's cute that most of the reviews I get (which I'm so beyond grateful for, you have no fricken idea) all ask for me to update soon. As if I don't already update 2-6 times a day! You guys are cute, really. You're reviews are so important to me. And how dare you guys think that Izzy could ever be mean about Clace?! As if she didn't know that they were _made_ for each other. But we'll see, maybe her opinion will change. I was thinking about more stuff for this and this is actually going to be a lot longer than I predicted. I got some _DRAAAAMMMAAAA_ coming that I think you'll enjoy. Anyways, yes I'll update soon... as in an hour ish after cause I gotta write the next one lmao. Love your reviews and love you friends**


	18. Chapter 18

**Leggo**

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Because the power had come back on but it was still too cold to go anywhere, the four of them decided to spend some time together and outside of the bedroom. Clary had called her mother and talked to her to reassure her that Clary was fine. Apparently her mother and Luke were still stuck in too much snow living up in the hills instead of closer to the city, so Clary was asked to stay with Isabelle a little longer until the snow was gone. While waiting for Clary to finish her phone call, the weather report had mentioned that low temperatures during the night could put a thin layer of ice over the melted snow, asking for people to not drive and be careful when trudging around the city.

Simon had left to use the restroom, leaving Izzy and Jace waiting for their significant others.

"I swear to God, Jace, if you do anything to hurt her, I'll cut off your favorite body part." Izzy said bluntly. Neither of them had spoken yet until Simon had left and Clary shut Jace's door behind her to give herself more privacy.

He looked at her bewildered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Jace asked.

Izzy stepped to him while he sat, making him feel small as she placed her hands on her hips and her dark eyes burning.

"If I find out you're just using her like all the other girls, I'm never going to even _look_ at you again." She threatened.

He stood now, even though he was taller than her, he still felt small. Jace felt like a child being lectured by a mother.

"I don't _want_ to hurt her." He defended. The idea made him shudder and knotted his stomach painfully.

Izzy closed her eyes and touched the bridge of her nose, "I know you don't."

Jace blinked, "What? Then why even say that bullshit?"

She shifted her weight so her hip was sticking out, "Jace, _I'm_ not blind. I've known you my whole life. You suck at hiding your emotions and you're probably the world's worst and guilty liar on this planet. I see the way you look at her, I know you wouldn't purposely hurt her because you _love_ her."

Jace's breath got caught and he coughed. Izzy had put her hand on his chest and pushed him back down on the couch just as Simon and Clary both returned. The two of them looked at each other, confused for a moment but shrugged.

Simon and Isabelle snuggled together under a thick fluffy blanket from Izzy's room, clear that they were going to pay more attention to themselves than the movie.

Clary began sitting beside Jace, but he grabbed her instead, sitting her close to him and having her legs across his. He laid a throw blanket across them so they could stay warm as she snuggled closer to Jace. He wrapped his arms around her waist and laid into her. His head was in her neck as her hand went to his hair, her fingers combing through his curled locks.

Isabelle's words rang through his head like an alarm. He had been a terrible liar and wished he was better at hiding his emotions, but had it seemed like he _loved_ Clary? He thought about it, sure he cared for her deeply, wanted to know everything about her from the typical get-to-know small talk to wanting to know what silly fears and what her childhood dreams were. The way Clary had made him feel when she looked at him, it made his stomach fill with flutters and his heart swell, but it was because, yes, he had grown to like her, but _love_ her already?

He looked at her, the light of the television and fire illuminating her eyes and making her lashes look longer and darker. She was focused and interested in the movie playing. She looked down at Jace and smiled at him sweetly and kissed his cheek close to his eye before snuggling deeper, scratching at his head and looking back at the movie.

The smallest gestures made him feel like his heart would implode and his skin burned where ever she touched him. He loved kissing her because it made him light headed. He loved holding her because it felt so natural and as if they were the last two pieces of the puzzle finally clicking together, the relief that the whole picture was pieced in one was what he felt. He loved the way she smelled. Loved the way she blushed. Loved the way she spoke and smiled and tasted and laughed and breathed.

Jace was in love with her.

Clary was the blazing white shooting star across a sky filled with dimmer stars, she was flying across the dark sky and illuminating the Earth and blinding Jace to only see her. Clary's kindness healing the deepest of cracks in his heart. Her wit making it impossible to not smile at. Her intelligence giving him a new way to look at things. Her voice being the thing that could bring him back from the dead. Her beauty blurring everyone out around her. Clary's name making him sweat and fill the empty hole that had been in his chest for so long. He loved her. Jace looked at her and realized that in a week he fell for her, a girl who he had barely spent time with and felt envious that he never clicked with her the way everyone else did.

But here Jace was, with her body over his, her heartbeat singing in his ear, her green emerald eyes gazing back at him, they had been the lost pieces of the million piece puzzle that finally were found and completed.

"What are you staring at?" Clary whispered to him. She had a soft smile on her lips, her wild hair like a blazing halo around her head, and her eyes full of wonder.

He kissed her jaw, "I'm just admiring you." His breath was shakey and he'd hoped she didn't notice.

She gave a breathy laugh, "You're so damn corny, who are you?"

His throat was tight, he wanted to yell and sing and cry. It was a good question, who was he?

He touched her cheek, she leaned in instinctlively, "I'm yours." He whispered to her. Her eyes were full of question, as his reply didn't make much sense, but he pulled her face down to his and kissed her before she said anything else.

He didn't kiss her hard, he didn't kiss her light, he kissed her fully. His lips against hers and his heart swelled more and more that he was sure his ribs were going to break.

He pulled away and she bit her lip, her cheeks darkening in the lovliest of shade of red. She looked back to the television, resting her cheek on his head as her fingers pulled at his hair.

Jace breathed her in, bathing in her every being. He loved her.

The movie was just mumbled noise for how much he focused on the sound of her heart and her breathing. He loved her.

The room was blurry as he looked at each strand of hair and individual freckle on her exposed neck. He loved her.

Jace was in love with Clary.

* * *

 ***Sigh* I'm too damn single for this shit, it's making my heart hurt that something like this doesn't exist in my life. Anyways, I'm pretty sure another chapter will be up after this, its only 11 pm. And I don't know how much writing I'll get done tomorrow or the next day, it being Christmas Eve and Christmas. So keep a lookout for one more update tonight. I'm gonna serve myself a big bowl of ice cream first because I need a love as unrealistic as this in my life. LMAOOOOO**

 **Also, I felt like the short sentences in this really captured the emotions Jace was feeling if you know what I mean. In an argument with himself to figure out what he was actually feeling, whether he just cared for her or whether he actually loved her. It made it more dramatic as he saw her really for the first time. I don't know, maybe it's just me, but that's how it makes me feel reading it over. That the fragmented sentences captured that every thought he had was interrupted by the fact that he realized that he loved her. Like a big sign popping back up right in front of him when he had thought of something else. Does that make sense? Did I capture that? I feel like I kinda did, but maybe that's just me. Sorry, sometimes I like to talk about how and why my writing is the way it is just in case no one else understood the double meaning behind how I wrote it. Hopefully if it didn't make sense that you look it over and then really put it together and see the meaning behind the way I wrote it. Rambling again.**

 **WAIT ONE MORE THING BECAUSE I POSTED IT BUT THEN DELETED IT BECAUSE I JUST WANTED TO SAY REAL QUICK LIKE, Did you guys catch some of the things that Jace explained that were related in the original book? Like the shooting star and the sound of her voice bringing him back from the dead? Just wanted to add that because it just really connects back to the books if you read them.*Sigh* bless Cassandra Clare.  
**


	19. Chapter 19

**Anotha one. I JUST WROTE A WHOLE BUNCH AND THEN ACCIDENTALLY EXITED OUT OF MY TAB UGH NOW I GOTTA REWRITE EVERYTHING FMLLLL**

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Clary had returned home after another two days of staying with Jace, Isabelle, and Simon. Once returning home, her mother Jocelyn and step father Luke had hugged her so tight she thought they would break her in two. The snow had melted enough that the roads were showing black asphalt and the branches became bare again. The grass was still covered and her mothers flower garden burried. Clary lied to her parents when they asked about her week with Isabelle, avoiding the fact that Jace filled in for Isabelle and Izzy not being in the apartment at all. She didn't lie completely, explaining that she spent her time drawing and Izzy playing dress up with her. The last two days, Izzy had sat Clary in front of a mirror and tried new things with her hair and makeup half the time. The other half of the time was Clary trying to draw Jace, who volunteered to be her sleeping model. Still, Clary couldn't capture the image she wanted. At one point, Jace had asked her to stop crinkling up her failed pieces so that he could keep them all.

The bed in Clary's parents house was a lot bigger then she remembered, her whole being missing Jace's warmth while she laid restlessly in bed. It had been days since Clary and Jace saw each other, but they still texted and he'd call her at night to tell her that he couldn't fall asleep or that he had found another one of her loose hairs in his bed. They didn't visit because of Christmas, Clary saying that being away from family for a week and around the holidays wasn't a good idea, and Jace agreed. Alec, Isabelle and Jace were on the other side of New York at one of their parent's homes. Because the Lightwoods were so wealthy, Robert and Maryse had homes in New York - the places that the kids stayed in and their own home - Oregon - where they originally moved from - and even vacation homes in Mexico and Alaska. Jace had promised Clary that he would take her to each home so that she had a chance to travel.

Because Christmas had just ended, Clary had been asking Jace what he wanted for Christmas. She only brought it up when he had told her how excited he was to give her his gift. Jace's response to her asking for a Christmas list made her snort, "You are my gift," he had told her. What do you get a guy who's kind of your boyfriend but not really your boyfriend for Christmas, she wondered.

Clary had known what she wanted to give Jace the minute she sat in her art room. Paint boards, utinsles, pictures all around the room, Clary sitting by the window at the sketch desk, a piece of paper and crumpled papers all around her as she had her head in her arms staring at the window. Making sure not to waste any paint boards, Clary had tried getting the image she wanted for Jace to be perfect, always screwing up. The picture had to be absolutely perfect for him.

Her phone rang, breaking her out of her focus. Isabelle's name and photo illuminated her screen.

Clary slid her phone screen and put the phone to her ear.

"Get your stuff, we're going out tonight." Isabelle interrupted before Clary had the chance to greet her properly.

"Well hello to you too." Clary teased. "What if I said no?" Clary knew that even if she was on her death bed, Isabelle would still drag her out to the clubs.

"You have no choice," Clary smiled at Isabelle's mind reading, "We're going to get dressed up and we're going to drink, and we're going to dance and laugh and have a damn good time!" Because it had been nearly a month since Isabelle had gone out, she was starting to feel withdrawls like she hadn't been using a drug. Her three addictions: Clubbing, dressing up, and shopping.

"Who's all going?" Clary asked, letting her pencil glide across the paper gently, not really giving it too much focus as she listened to Izzy.

"Don't worry, the love of your life will be there."

Clary rolled her eyes but her stomach fluttered, "I wasn't necessarily asking about Jace. I was actually curious about everyone else. But I guess you've got me convinced to come."

Isablle snorted, "The whole crew. Simon, Jace, even Alec and Magnus and then you and me."

"Aw, I miss Magnus and Alec. It's been so long." Clary cooed.

"Magnus is thrilled by the way, about you and Jace."

Clary pinched the bridge of her nose, "Jesus, Izzy. You have to tell everyone?"

"It wasn't me?! Jace brought it up at family dinner!" Isabelle defended herself.

The idea of Jace talking about her with his family made her heart squeeze. She hadn't said anything to Jocelyn and Luke, and now she felt bad about it.

"What did he say?" Clary said, a little too excitedly. She hoped Izzy hadn't noticed.

Izzy noticed. She giggled, "He was asking everyone what _else_ he should get you for Christmas."

Clary's mouth dropped, " _Else_? As in he's gotten me more than one thing?"

"My lips are sealed. But you'll die, who knew Jace had such a soft side."

Clary groaned, "Izzy, I don't even have his gift done! I didn't know he got me multiple things!"

"Oh my God, what are you getting him?" She demanded.

"Hell no!" Clary snapped, "You have a big mouth. All of you are so bad at keeping secrets."

Isabelle grumbled but Clary couldn't understand her.

"I'm not even sorry." Clary smiled.

"Whatever. Anyways, I just went out shopping and got you a dress that's going to make Jace melt. It's going to be just like all those rom-com scenes where the nerdy girl turns into a beautiful swan and the guy of her dreams realizes how beautiful she is and, ugh. He's going to die when I'm finished with you." Izzy rambled, her words coming faster and faster until she gasped for breath.

Clary waited until she was calm and quiet, "I'm a nerd?"

Isabelle sighed, "You know what I mean! I'll be there in five, get some clothes cause you are not planning on staying in your own bed tonight."

Izzy hung up the phone as Clary shook her head in disbelief.

* * *

"Let's hope Jace wraps his knuckles up cause he's going to be fighting off a lot of hungry, hungry men tonight." Isabelle grabbed Clary's shoulders and turned her around to look in the mirror.

Izzy was right about about the nerdy girl being turned into the beautiful swan.

Clary's hair had been tamed into large curls draping around her shoulders. Her makeup was still light, dark brown eyeshadow that made her eye color pop, lashes long like spider legs, and bronzer to accent her cheekbones. She wore diamond stud earrings and a small diamond necklace that rested just at the curve of her lifted chest. The dress she wore hugged her and showed off her curves elegantly, short at midthigh. The dark emerald green contrasting against her pale skin and her bright red hair. The dress had mesh sleeves with flowers detailing like lace, the dress sloping in a "V" to show off her collarbones. The shoes she wore were heels that strapped once around her ankle, but for once, Clary felt confident in walking in them as a squishy pads kept her feet in comfort.

"Izzy, I-I don't know what to say..." Clary was really speechless. Even though Isabelle always dressed Clary up for when they went out, this was probably some of her best work. She didn't feel too exposed, she actually felt like a very mature adult. Enough skin on display to make someone look at her but enough of her body was covered that she could have gone to a decently formal event.

"Damn, I did good." Isabelle touched up her hair with a flat iron. Her dress was white, accentuating her dark hair and dark eyes. It was shorter than Clary's, but it worked with Isabelle's long body. The sides of her dress looked mesh and as if you could see her skin, but a closer look and you could see that it was still cloth underneath, giving a facade. Her lips a dark red and her eyeshadow matching the burgundy. Snowflake earrings dangled a little and it looked like snowflakes on the bottom of her dress because of the small rhinestones. Her white heels that were open toed to show her black toenails made her look like she was actually about to go on a runway.

"Izzy, let's go." The sound of Jace's voice from the living room made Clary's heart sputter and her cheeks pinken.

Izzy turned back to Clary and twisted a curl in her hair.

"I hope you're ready to make them _melt_." Isabelle said as she stepped to the door.

* * *

 **Ugh, I know. Another typical Clary-gets-dressed-up-and-Jace-sees-her-as-an-angel part. I had to, it's a classic scene in every rom-com boy gets dared into loving girl movie, ya know? It's important. Anyways, it's Christmas Eve tomorrow (today since its 1 am for me) but I'll try to update tomorrow, I can't make any promises since I'll be seeing family and helping my mom prep for Christmas events. I'm sorry, but hey, I could only update once a week or month, but no. I deserve an award for posting 19 chapters in 4 days, cut me some slack lmao. Maybe I'll edit my YouTube vid since I _still_ haven't done that. I gotta post in a few days since I post weekly vids (I'd forever be grateful if you subscribed, link on my profile, but I'm not too worried about it, ya know). **

**Anyways, _if_ I don't write to you tomorrow (which I more than likely will) Happy Holidays friends. Thank you for the gift of your reviews, suggestions, comments, praises, follows, favorites, etc, etc. It truly means a lot to me. ILY**


	20. Chapter 20

**Oh my God, YOU GUYS ARE THE ACTUAL CUTEST AND SWEETEST HUMAN BEINGS EVER! I woke up to so many reviews that I didn't expect and everyday more people view my story and, UGH IT'S SUCH A NICE FEELING! You know that feeling you have when you finally find what you're good at that can't compare to other people? I feel like this is it. Granted, I'm not taking so much time to edit and and write everything down, but it's just such a good feeling to get this praise. You all really are so great to me. Anyways, before I get too cheesy, jump in.**

* * *

"Clary, you look great, but that dress is much too short!" Simon's voice shook with nervousness as Izzy touched her lips to his cheek. She whispered something in his ear after he spoke, causing him to blush.

Clary stepped out of Isabelle's room, igniting a fire inside of Jace that consumed his whole being.

Her wild hair calmed but still keeping it's volume as it curled largly around her face which sparkled with the makeup and natural beauty. Her dress made Jace's knees weak and he thought he would combust.

He couldn't stop staring, Izzy didn't need to add blush to Clary because her cheeks naturally pinkened. Sure, Jace had seen her really dressed up before, had even told Isabelle that Clary looked lovely. But this time was different. He had the sheen that hid his true eyesight pulled away to appreciate the deepest beauty that Clary held.

Simon was still rambling on, making Clary pull at her hair in discomfort. It wasn't so much that he was insulting Clary, he just didn't particularly agree with her outfit of choice.

"Lewis." Jace interrupted, needing to repeat himself a second time as Simon spoke.

"What?" Simon finally acknowledged Jace.

Jace didn't look away from Clary as she looked at him, her hair looking more red against the complexion of her hunter green dress, her skin looking like the snow with her sheer sleeves and her eyes looking even lighter in the eyeshadow that framed her lids.

"Shut up." Was all Jace could say as he couldn't form cohearent thoughts in his own brain.

Clary hid her face with her hand as she stiffled a giggle.

"Simon, I appreciate the concern, but we're nearly twenty. I think I'm allowed to dress however I want." Clary defended herself. Jace felt a goofy smile on his face, happy that Clary had become such an open person around him in the last week.

Simon grumbled but Izzy touched his cheek to get his attention, his focus taken right away as the made their way to the door.

Jace walked up to Clary, he wanted to touch her but was afraid of ruining the dream he was in. He felt underdressed compared to her, in a white button up with two buttons free to expose his neck and a little of his chest. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his black dress pants smoothed over his long legs. He even shifted in his dress shoes as he stepped close to Clary in all of her glory. The club was themed tonight, it being the weekend after Christmas but before New Years. The theme was Winter Wonderland.

He was afraid to touch her, afraid Clary would end up being a mirage in his head rather than reality.

"Clary... I-I - You look - Hm... Your -" Jace truly had no words and Clary's eyes widened, her cheeks darkened, and her lips pulled over her teeth to reveal her breathtaking smile. Her little dimple on the right side of her cheek making an appearance.

Jace took a deep breath and swallowed.

"Wow." Was all he said to get Clary to look down in bashfulness and look back up to Jace.

"Wow to you too. She said touching his buttons on his shirt. Her warm touch through the cloth made his skin ignite as he touched her chin and leaned forward.

"Jace, if you mess up _any_ part of her before we get to Pandemonium, I will _cut_ you!" Isabelle snapped. "Now let's go, Alec and Magnus are waiting."

Jace was close to Clary's face but stopped, both of them chuckling at Izzy's comment. Clary's breath smelling of toothpaste and her skin smelling like roses. Clary's eyes flickered to Izzy as Jace heard the door open. He watched her green eyes flicker back to his just as she closed the distance between them and kissed him quick, but a quick kiss couldn't suit Jace as he held her face. It wasn't long, but he just wanted to feel her velvet lips against his fully. He wanted to appreciate every line of her lips and the feeling of her nose against his cheek, smelling her rosey skin and feeling her hair tickle his temples. He could turn to stone there and still die happy.

"Let's go!" The sound of Izzy's voice out in the staircase broke them apart, another laugh bubbling in their stomachs.

Jace grabbed her Pea coat hanging on the back of the dining chair and held it up for her. She smiled and slipped it on, Jace's hands lingering at her neck as he put it on for her. Then, hooking his arm up, Clary slipped her arm into his as they left the apartment, Jace's knees feeling wobbly.

* * *

The music was loud and the lights made Clary's skin turn into a rainbow as it danced and flashed across her exposed flesh. The dress on her making it look nearly black, but Jace still felt weak. Magnus and Alec had managed to squeeze and weave through the thick crowd of the dance floor to make it to them.

"Damn girl, you look stunning!" Magnus called to Clary as he twirled her around, a laughing smile on her face as Magnus held her hand above her head like a turning ballerina in a music box.

"Where's Izzy?" Alec asked Jace.

His eyes didn't leave Clary as she spoke excitedly to Magnus, "Out dancing with Simon. You'll catch her in white."

Alec smiled at Jace, catching his stare but saying nothing about it.

Magnus looked to Jace and raised an eyebrow. "I hope Jace has been complimenting your look every second."

Jace just stared at Clary, unable to say anything.

A smile spread across Magnus's face, "Or stare at you like you're the sun in the night sky works too."

Clary giggled and Jace's heart squeezed.

Magnus offered to get everyone a drink, being able to get drinks quick and free for knowing the bartender well. Jace was glad Izzy had gotten them all fakes when they were seventeen, Clary refusing at first but then agreeing once she was eighteen.

Jace wrapped his arms around Clary and she looked up at him, her eyes dancing in the flashing rainbow lights of the club.

His lips were at her ear, grazing the edge of her ear as he spoke, "Come dance with me?"

She pulled away and looked at him, "I'm not the type of dancer that you're usually used to..."

He smiled, "What kind of dancer am I used to?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing what she meant but she answered anyways.

"You know, the sexy type. The type that grinds and practically dry humps on you."

He kissed the spot below her ear, her skin goosebumping under his hand.

"You are the sexy type, don't kid yourself." Jace whispered. His hand slid down her arm as she grabbed her hand and pulled her through the thick crowd of drunken dancers.

He spun her around so that she had her back to him as he trailed his hands to her hips, holding her tight against him. They swayed together as Clary's hands held his. Jace's knees wobbled but he was truly in heaven. The vibration of the the bass from the music shook Jace to the core as Clary's body pressed against his.

He looked around for a second as he heard the sound of his voice being called over the loud music. Looking for Isabelle or Magnus, his eyes scanned around the room.

His heart stopped.

Across the room sitting at one of the tall bar tables, waved a familiar face. Black hair pulled back in a loose ponytail as it sleeked over shoulder, light blue eyes gazing across the way as they sparkled in recognition. Features small but sharp as thin eyes focused.

Aline Penhallow smiled at Jace across the room.

* * *

 **I hope that you guys would think it was Sebastion at first, but sike, it's Aline. Probably really obvious that Jace's ghost would haunt him again. Anyways. I may or may not upload one more chapter later, so keep an eye out. If it's after 3pm Oregon, USA time, then I won't be updating, but if it's before, then I still might. But yeah, thank you all so much for the comments and suggestions, you have no idea how much it means to me. I get just as excited as you guys tell me you do when you get a notification saying I updated as I wake up to a bunch of notifications of reviews and follows and favorites. Thank you. ILY**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, one more chapter for today, this'll be it until after Christmas.**

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Jace's body felt heavy as Aline made eye contact with him across the room. His mouth became dry and his skin became cold. He had forgotten where he was until he felt hot fingers on his cheek defrost him. Clary, looking in his eyes with worry. Jace had already downed two drinks in the last hour as he tried to distract himself from the ghost that haunted him. He looked at her, his body melting when he remembered who he was, where he was, who _she_ was.

"Jace, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost?"

Jace and Clary had pulled over to sit at the table with the rest of the crew, standing as his restless legs couldn't get him to stay seated. The high stool made Clary the same height as him as her worried eyes gleamed at him.

He smiled a tight smiled and kissed her hand, "Yeah I'm fine."

Clary's face said she didn't believe him, but his hard smile made her not question him.

He was feeling better knowing that Clary was with him, helping him remembered how she made him feel even at his worst.

That's when his skin iced again.

"Oh my God, Isabelle, Alec, _Jace_! It is you guys!" A voice yelled over the music behind him. Jace's hands were holding onto Clary's chair as he leaned over her, his hands on either sides of her legs trapping her in. He was thankful he had something to hold onto, he'd thought he'd faint right then and there.

He swallowed and turned his head, Clary watching his fear stricken face.

Aline stood, in the most revealing but classy of dresses. It's dark purple complimenting her pale skin and the low cut of the neck exposing her cleavage. The back of her dress dipped all the way down showing the line of her spine. Her tied heels wound up her calves and tiny slits on either side of her flowey dress made her legs look sinful.

"Aline?" Isabelle spoke for them all, her voice cracking as she remembered how much she had hurt Jace. "What are you doing _here_? In New York of all places?"

Aline stepped up to the table, Jace watching her as her body was close to his but not trying to hang over him, just happened to be how they were standing. His stomach knotted and his forehead began a cold sweat.

"Oh, I go to school at NYU! So I've got my own place here and all that! What are you guys doing here?" Aline sounded sincere, but Jace's heart had dropped to his stomach and his throat burned as bile settled just there.

Alec now spoke over the music, shifting his eyes between Izzy and Jace, "New York is where we moved to during High School."

Aline waved her hand, "Oh, gosh, that's right! I totally forgot!" Jace wasn't sure if Aline _actually_ forgot or if she was just trying to make it a coincidence.

Izzy scooted closer, analyzing the girl, "Why NYU?" She asked, a double meaning in her question.

Aline smiled, "Oh, I got a free ride for graphic design. Can't pass up free schooling, amiright?"

Jace still didn't feel convinced, instead, he actually felt sick. He hadn't said a word and his only movement was his head moving to look at her as she spoke. His hands were white on the seat and he could feel Clary's hand touch his forearm in reassurance. It helped.

"Anyways, I'll let you guys go with your _loved_ ones." Aline's words hung, "It was nice seeing you all, we'll all have to get coffee sometime. Izzy, Alec," She nodded her head at them, Aline looking to Jace then, unphased at his sickly look. "Jace." His name on her mouth made his blood in his veins feel frostbitten.

They watched her turn on her heels and saunter into the crowd, disappearing from the others but still in Jace's line of vision.

The group was silent, all eyes on Jace. Clary hadn't said anything or moved besides her hand resting on his arm. Once her other hand touched his hand tight around the seat of her chair, he looked at her. Eyes full of worry and a little "V" set in between her brows. Jace swallowed and pulled away, his hands hurting from gripping the chair so hard, lines in his palms from the edge of the seat being pressed into his flesh.

"I need a drink, does anyone want anything? Clary?" Jace spoke quickly, everyone shaking their heads just before he looked at Clary.

"I'm alright, thank you. Do you want me to come with?" She asked, touching his hand again.

He shook his head quick and touched his lips to her jaw before disappearing into the crowd, the warmth her hand gave him leaving him feeling like ice.

Jace knew he shouldn't treat her as coldly as he did, but he felt as cold as he treated her. Bile stinging the back of his throat hadn't left, his stomach tying knot after knot, his lunds collapsing and making it hard for him to breathe. He stood at the bar and asked for a whiskey shot, the dirtiest whiskies they owned. He needed something harsh to warm his blood and loosen his stomach.

"It's been awhile Jace." Aline's voice was next to him, sitting in one of the bar stools. _Jesus_ , he thought.

He didn't look at her, afraid that if he did that his knees would give out. It really did feel like he had seen a ghost, a demon really.

"A long while." Was all he could muster.

"I hope you've been well?" She asked. He looked at her then, a colored drink was in her hand, her legs crossed inching up the end up her dress and her eyes glossy but still focused.

"I've been phenomenal." He said. It was true. After moving, he had gained new friends, had a job working at Roberts buisness as an I.T. guy, was close with his famliy, and had Clary in his life.

Aline smiled, "That's good to hear."

"Yeah." Jace mumbled as he looked back at the bar. It was busy, people had been pressed against him and hands tapped at the bar table to get the bartenders attentions.

"I've missed you." Aline said again before taking a sip of her drink. Jace gulped.

"I doubt that very much." His voice was harsh.

He saw her shrug in the corner of his eye, "I know you do. But it's the truth. I hope that little red head treats you right."

He turned to her sharply then, anger rising in his chest but he pressed it down as best as he could.

"She treats me better than you." His words were cold, but he didn't care.

Aline cocked her head, "I'm glad."

Her words caught Jace's tongue, unsure of what she said was real or not.

"I was a kid then, Jace. We both were. I know I ended things rather... immaturely, but I was young. I've grown up, and you have too. You look great. I mean, you've always looked great, but you've reallly grown into a man, you know." Vomit touched Jace's throat again as Aline hit on him. "I just don't want bad blood between us, you know."

Jace stared, the bartender slipping his glass of whiskey in his hand was what pulled him back. He breathed and knocked his head back as he tossed the drink down his throat.

"No bad blood, Aline. I'm just trying to move on in life with Clary." Jace nodded his head at Aline.

He left her then, weaving in and out of the crowd, Clary's face the only thing in his mind as his breathing began to pick up. Anxiety rising in his chest and shaking his hands as he tried to find her.

There she was, in the burst of the crowd, her hair like fire and her skin like snow. His anxiety gone and his chest expanding as he saw her. Aline's name on his tongue made him sick, but Clary's name on his lips was the antidote for his illness.

He came to her and grabbed her face, her eyes wide from surprise as he pressed his lips hard against hers. Even in front of Alec and Izzy, Simon and Magnus, he kissed her with every part of his being. Her hand touched his sides and held his shirt. Her lips tasted like strawberry fruit juice and her skin in his hands felt like Egyptian cotton. She was his breath that he sucked in after being underwater for too long, she was the parachute to stop him from free falling into the ground.

He pulled away and ignored everyones stares as he looked only at Clary.

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 **CUTE**

 **It's not over yeeeeetttt. But there's that for you. I gotta do some stuff, so if I don't update and it's after 3 ish my time, then I won't be posting the rest of the day most likely. But Happy Holiday's and don't worry, I will _not_ make you guys wait too long. I would never. ILY ILY ILY**


	22. Chapter 22

**Because my story has gotten a total of 2,000 views and you guys have made me so happy with your positive and helpful feedback, I thought I'd write a quick chapter before bed. Happy Holidays, loves!**

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A few days had passed since the last time the crew went clubbing. New Years was only four days away as Clary passed by shops and homes putting up New Years decorations quickly. The day was chilly, very light snow was falling but it didn't stick to the ground as Clary huddled in her jacket. She was meeting Jace by the coffee shop a few blocks from his place so they could grab a hot drink together and then spend the rest of the day with each other. She entered the building, a big "Happy New Year" sign in gold and black hung from above the menu behind the bar. Clary had sat at one of the lether brown loveseats as she pulled out her phone. The heaters in the shop helped Clary warm up quickly from the outside as she tapped at her phone, letting Jace know that she was waiting for him. He asked her to order for him and he'd pay her back later.

Clary ordered, getting herself a peppermint mocha and Jace a black coffee, she never understood how he could drink that tar.

Minutes passed and soon the barista had called out her name as her drinks came up. Clary growing annoyed with Jace's tardiness, she thanked the worker and grabbed the coffee. She wouldn't wait all day for him. The cold blew around her as she stepped back outside, holding the door for a man in a long black trench coat and suit. He smiled at her and thanked her, she smiled back.

Clary's mind began to wander, her thoughts on Aline. She was stunning, nothing compared to Clary. Unlike Clary, Aline was mature and sophisticated, knowing how to dress herself as an adult while Clary wore jeans with paint stains and a sweater that was too big for her. What did Jace see in Clary that made him want her? What did Jace see in Aline that made him want her then? Clary wondered if they continued with their relationship - whatever that may be - if he would expect her to change who she was to fit Jace's standards.

Clary shook her head as she dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. Jace wasn't like that. He complimented her wild hair, loved how her height made it easy for him to put her head under his chin, and hated when Isabelle dressed her - that is unless it had to do with wearing a revealing dress or purchasing underwear. Jace always reminded her of her beauty, something that Clary didn't think she could get used to.

Clary had made it to Jace's apartment, climbing the steps and tucking his coffee in her arm as she pulled the door towards her. She passed the managers home and made her way up the stairs, the layers of clothing she had on making her hot and the coffees in her hand even hotter.

Clary nearly spilled the hot liquid as she caught herself from bumping into someone. She looked up to give a quick apology.

"Oh no, it's my bad... Clary?" It was Aline. Clary's skin felter cold even after the climb up the stairs made her body hot.

Clary didn't want to make it seem like Aline was the forefront of her thoughts, "Um... Aline, right?" She tried playing it cool, but Aline knew she was the topic of conversation since the night at Pandemonium.

She nodded, in the light she looked even more beautiful. Her nose small but her lips full, eye color an icey blue lined with black lashes that shadowed her cheekbones and brow bone. Her hair was in a tight braid, no loose hairs sticking out or frizzing as it twisted over her shoulder.

"Wha- What are you doing here? Not to be rude or anything, but I didn't think you lived here?" Clary tried so hard to play it off, but her veins iced.

Aline gave a small smile, "Oh, I just came to visit. Jace really quick, it was nothing." Clary gulped.

"Oh..." Was all Clary could muster. Jace's tardiness making sense to her now as Aline stood in front of her.

"Anyways, it was nice seeing you - well, meeting you I should say. I didn't get a chance to actually introduce myself at the club the other night. I have to get going though," Aline stepped passed Clary, but setting a hand on her shoulder and looking Clary in the eyes as her smiled twisted in the most sinful way, "You're up."

Aline made her way down to the stairs, leaving Clary standing in the hallway of the apartment, Jace's door only inches away from her.

Aline's words had now frozen Clary's spine. Was Clary being dramatic, or was there a double meaning in Aline's phrase.

 _"I hope you take better care of him than I did."_

Clary shuddered as Jace's front door opened. She looked saw him with his one arm through a jacket, his hair wild and his eyes wide. He stopped when he saw Clary in the doorway.

"Clary? What are you doing here?" He asked. Clary stared.

"You were late meeting up with me... so I just made my way here." Her voice was monotone, her heart falling in her chest as pieces were clicking in her head. Her hands were numb and she thought she was going to drop the cups of coffee.

Jace looked to the side and then back at her quickly before he took the cups from her burning hands, "I'm so sorry, I got caught up, come ins-"

"Caught up in Aline?" Clary interrupted him before he could invite her in.

He stared, his eyes growing bigger if that was possible.

"What do you mean?" He asked. Clary's stomach now twisted.

"I just ran into her."

Jace gulped.

"I see why you were late." Clary finished, her eyes were stinging but she bit back the tears. Her lungs deflated.

Jace set the cups on the ground and stepped to her, Clary stepped back.

"No, wait Clary, it's not - no, _God_ no." Jace stuttered.

"She told me ' _You're up_ '. I get it now, really, I do." Clary knew that she might be being dramatic, but the signs were there. His hair was messy, cheeks red, eyes glossy and he had been late enough for her to get to the shop, order, get order, _and_ make it all the way up to his apartment.

"Let me explain Clary." Jace started, he took another step towards her and she retaliated by stepping back.

She shook her head, her eyes blurring from the tears that formed at the edge of her eyelashes, "You don't need to, you can be with whoever you want, whenever you want. I don't have control over that. It's not like we're dating."

Jace had looked like he got punched in the stomach.

"Y-You think I slept with _her_?" Jace's voice was filled with disgust.

Clary snorted and she looked up, hoping that her tears would absorb into her eyes, "I mean, Jace, look at you. You sure look like you had a wild time."

Jace raked his hands in his already messy hair, " _No_ , Clary, I swear that's not what it looks like." He pleaded.

"What did she mean by that then, Jace? _'You're up'?_ How the _hell_ do you think I should take that?" Clary demanded, her iced body parts now starting to burn in rage and hurt. It felt like someone had stuck their hand in her chest and ripped her heart out.

Jace frowned, "Clary, I'm just as confused as you are, I swear. Nothing happened."

"Why should I believe you when the whole situation is so _shady_?" Clary's throat was tight and sore from the sob that threatened to burst from her chest.

Jace looked defeated, "Because I haven't ever given you a reason to not trust me."

She looked away, "You also haven't given me a reason _to_ trust you." She stated. It was true, but it was a stupid excuse.

"Clary, really, all we did was talk."

"It's fine, Jace. If you and her... hooked up, it's non of my buisness. This is who you are, I knew that." Clary's shoulders felt tight.

He stepped to her, Clary not moving anymore or else she's be stuck between him and the closed door behind them.

"This is who I _am_? And who exactly is that?" Jace was angry now.

Clary rolled her eyes, "A player? Jace, for as long as I've known you, you've had girls in and out since Aline. Now that shes back in the picture, it only makes sense to get back together with her."

Jace rubbed his hands on his face as if he was trying to wake himself from a dream.

"I'm not like that anymore. I don't want her like that either." He defended, his face was even more now after he rubbed his skin.

She snorted, "Life is not like a stupid corner rom-com, Jace. This is real life. The nice girl doesn't get to change that bad guy, that's not real. If you want to play games with girls, then fine, but don't suck me into it."

" _What_?" Jace was confused.

She shook her head, "Nevermind. I knew this was a bad idea from the start, I knew this would happen, and I _especially_ knew it the moment Aline came by."

Jace looked angry as his hands fisted enough to make his knuckles turn white.

"You _knew_ this would happen? That's good to know that you think so poorly of me, Clary. I'm glad I'll always be an asshole manwhore to you." He snapped.

Now Clary felt angry, her veins had unfrozen and now raced hot, "Well could you _blame_ me? Stepping out with your _ex-girlfriend_ when you were supposed to meeting up with your current girlf-" Clary stopped herself, her words falling like her heart had.

"My what, Clary? My _what?_ You said so yourself, 'It's not like we're dating'. You shouldn't even _be_ mad! We _aren't_ dating and _you_ can see whoever you want, and _I_ can see whoever I want. You're not my girlfriend because I didn't _ask_ you to be. Maybe that's because I knew deep down that you thought so shitty of me. Maybe my conscious was telling me not to get involved with you because you'd accuse me of being the shit person that I am." Jace's anger spoke for himself before his true self did. His words hitting Clary like bullets as she realized everything he had said was true. She _was_ wary of Jace only because of what was said about him, how he used to act. She didn't want to get caught up in his games, but once she got attached, she assumed that they were exclusive. But they never talked about being exclusive.

"My bad, I thought that all of the time we'd spent together and all of the texts and phone calls and 'I miss you's and 'I want to be with you's were bullshit meant that we were only each others! I should have known better than to assume that you telling me 'I'm yours' didn't _actually_ mean that you wanted just me and I wanted just you!" Clary yelled back at him, her tears finally breaking over and spilling down her cheeks. Jace blinked and looked at her fresh tears.

"Clary... _God_ , I'm so _sorry_. But I'm _begging_ you, you have to believe me that noth-" Jace pleaded but Clary cut him off.

"I _know_ you're begging," Her heart had been ripped in two and chewed up, "It doesn't look good on you." She turned and went out the door, more tears falling. She heard Jace's footsteps trying to catch up with her after she made it down the first flight of stairs, her head start helping her. She made it outside, but Jace was close behind as he followed her. She waved her arm just as a taxi was coming and it pulled to the side right up to her.

She opened the door and was pulled back by Jace. She looked up at him, desperation and hurt in his eyes.

" _Please Clary,_ " He begged, "Please don't leave me. Please don't do this. This is _all_ a huge misunderstanding, you have to believe me."

She yanked her arm away from him, "I can't change you Jace, do whatever you want. But just leave me alone." Clary's voice shook as a sob bubbled at her throat.

She slid in to the cab and shut the door, Jace's voice muffled as he called her name.

"Just drive, I'll tell you where to go." She said, and the cab driver looked at her with worried eyes as he hesitated, Jace hitting the car window as he called her name.

"Go!" She snapped, the sob escaping and more tears spilling. The car lurched as the cabbie slammed on the gas, the sound of Jace yelling Clary's name in the distance did not stop the sobs from escaping as she held wrapped her arms around her chest that was now empty.

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 **Happy Holidays, here's a cliff hanger LMAO. LOVE YOU GUYS!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Alright, alright, I know. I'm such an ass for leaving you guys for a few days on a cliff hanger. But hey, it makes you want more, right? I'm back, I had a wonderful Christmas and got to spend time with some family. I hope you** ** _all_** **had a wonderful holiday time these last few days and I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging ahahah. ANYWAYS, here you go. :)**

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The door to Isabelle's bedroom opened as she pushed all of her clothes in a big pile. Her bedroom would get exceedingly messy throughout the week and then cleaned it all in one night, just to have the cleanliness last for a few days just for it to get messy again. It was a constant spiral that she had grown into.

Jace's head popped around her open door as she looked to see who entered.

"I'm meeting Clary at the coffee shop to get some coffee at noon and then coming back here, did you want something?" Jace asked. Since Clary and Jace had gotten together, Jace couldn't stop talking about her. The time he spent away from her, he would always ask Isabelle little things about Clary that he hadn't learned about her during the winter storm. A smile was constantly on his face and his face glowed.

Isabelle smiled, "You're going a whole twenty minutes early? It's only a ten minute walk from here?"

Jace shrugged, "I'd rather wait on her than have her wait on me."

Izzy was envious of how kind Jace was to Clary, something Jace didn't even do for Aline when they dated.

Isabelle thought for a moment, then shook her head, "No, I'm good, thanks. Walk safe." Isabelle said. Jace smiled and left, the door open just a crack. Isabelle would have minded usually with her door cracked open, but with Jace leaving, she didn't mind.

She continued cleaning her room, hanging her accessories one by one and untangling the ones that were greatly knotted. Isabelle heard the door open, but then Jace's voice.

"What are you doing?" His voice travelled, she thought he might have been on the phone, but then a female voice sounded.

"Hi, Jace." It was a voice that didn't belong to Clary's, and Isabelle frowned. She stepped over her piles of clothes as she made her way to her door to look through the crack.

In all her glory, Aline made her way in without an offer. She pulled the zipper of her thick coat down and shrugged it off, tossing it on the arm of the couch.

"Aline, what are you doing here?" Jace was dumbfounded, his hands were running in his hair nervously.

"I wanted to come see you. I wish we could have met up differently, I feel like we kind of left things awkwardly." Aline sat on the sofa and crossed her legs.

Isabelle could see Jace's face turn red, his brows pulled down in frustration.

"It _was_ awkward, but we left things. Period. You need to leave, I have somewhere to be." Jace's voice was stern, it seemed to Isabelle that he no longer saw her as the girl that broke his heart and made fun of him for it, instead, she was a pest.

Aline stood up and stepped up to him closely, Jace's shoulders stiffened.

"Jacey- " Aline started.

"Don't call me that." Jace snapped.

She didn't listen, "It's been so long, at least _pretend_ to be happy to see me." She said, her voice sounded hurt but Isabelle could tell she was just being annoying.

He huffed, "You know I've never been a liar."

Izzy smiled. Aline frowned and touched his shoulders. Jace recoiled away.

"Aline, why are you actually here? You're making me late." Jace was clearly frustrated and Isabelle's shoulders rolled back. She was happy that he could see through her selfishness.

"Late to meeting up with _Clary_?" She asked, crossing her arms. Isabelle noticed that Jace frowned, he must have not liked the way Clary's name came from Aline's mouth the way Isabelle did.

"Yes, actually." Now Jace was the one to cross his arms.

Aline rolled her eyes.

"I'll admit, I must have made a real impact on you if you chose someone like _her_." Aline snarled, clearly hurt that Jace was with someone other than her.

Jace stepped to the side of her and grabbed the front door handle, "I must have made a real impact on _you_ since you had to stalk me. Please leave, Aline."

Aline walked up to him, her coat still on the arm of the couch.

"Jace, let's not act like we don't still care for each other." She started, Isabelle pretended to vomit quietly in her room.

Jace laughed once and harsh, "Again, never been one to lie, Aline." Jace sounded bored and pulled out his phone as he tapped at it.

Aline smiled but it was tight, "Jace, I miss us."

He scoffed at her again, putting his back in his pocket and ran his hands through his hair while rubbing his eyes, as if he were trying to wake himself from a terrible dream.

"Us? What about _us?_ There is no us, Aline. There was once, but there hasn't been for a long time. We don't talk, we don't meet up, I haven't seen you since high school! Just admit that you miss a good lay." Jace was fuming but his voice was incredilous. Like Isabelle, he was in awe that Aline was trying to gussy up to him.

"I'll admit that you're a great lay." Aline started, Isabelle grimaced behind her door, "C'mon Jace, you have to admit you miss me too. We were great together, and now that we're in the same place again, why not try it again?"

Aline's hands were on his chest as she flirted with Jace. Jace grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away.

"We were great, but then you screwed me over. You hurt me Aline and I left and I found someone who doesn't use people like you did to me. We grew up and we definitely grew _apart_."

Aline eyed him, "I _know_ you grew up. You got _way_ sexier. I always liked you with longer hair." Now her hands ruffled his hair, he grabbed her wrist again and pushed her away.

"It isn't going to happen. We grew _apart_ , and I grew to Clary. There is no us, there is no we, there is no missing. Unlike all of the other guys you hooked up with while you were with me, _I_ don't miss you." Jace went to the couch and grabbed her coat for her and handed it to her.

"We weren't together officially, remember?" Aline was frustrated which filled Isabelle with joy.

Jace rubbed his face again his his free hand, looking beyond annoyed that she was still breathing the same air as him. His face heated as the anger and annoyance boiled in him.

"Two years? Two years of going on vacations with our families, two years of school dances and group dates, two years of being _cutest couple_ in the yearbook? If all that shit wasn't us dating, then I really don't know what is." Jace's face was red.

Aline grabbed her coat and slipped it on.

She touched his arm, flirting again. Isabelle sighed and wondered when this girl was going to get it through her thick skull.

"Just remember Jace, I was the best you ever had. Everyone in school would have killed to be with me." She winked as she went to the door.

"You _were_ the best I ever had. But now I have someone else. And the school didn't _need_ to kill to be with you since you were _so_ availble for those two years." Jace grinned, his eyes burning with fury.

"Goodbye Jace, call me when it doesn't work out with Clary." Aline snapped, but she gave a devilish smile when assuming his relationship wouldn't work out. He watched her leave as his eyes slitted with anger. She shut the door hard behind her and he sighed once she left.

Jace rubbed his face and grumbled his cheeks red and his hair a mess as he saw his reflection.

His phone beeped and he checked it, Isabelle heard him swear and grab his coat as he darted out the door, closing loudly as he rushed.

Isabelle rolled her eyes at Aline, how desperate she had been and how easy she still was even after high school. She had been wrong when she said that they had _both_ grown up, seeing as she was still very easy and Jace was very unaffected by her.

Ever since Jace had started talking to Aline in school, she never understood why. Izzy knew that Aline was known as an easy target, boys talked about hooking up with her after school. Isabelle wasn't a judgemental person, she didn't care if people had a lot of sex or had none, and she always hated 'slut shaming', but when it affected people in relationships, that's where Izzy drew the line. Aline always made a situation look worse than it actually was, getting a lot of heart broken girls think that their boyfriends were cheating.

Izzy went back to her room, her mood turned since Aline's visit. She was proud of her adopted brother for standing his ground, knowing how badly Aline broke his heart in high school and seeing him only think of Clary gave Isabelle a sense of hope for her two loved ones.

Until moments later she heard the door slam again and Jace's erratic stomping enter the room. She only heard his swears before she finally stepped from her room.

His hair even more wild and his eyes in panic as he paced the room, hands in his hair and his coat through one arm.

"Jace? Are you okay?" Izzy asked. He looked at her, forgetting that she had been in the apartment the whole time. His fingertips were white and his face was red.

He quickly went to her and put his hands on her shoulders hard, "I screwed up Izzy, I really screwed up." Seeing him up close, she could see his eyes watered slightly and the true fear on his face.

She frowned in confusion, "What happened Jace?"

He let go and began pacing again, "Clary ran into Aline and-and you know how Aline is? She makes things look worse than they actually are. Clary thinks I cheated on her and-and I said somethings I shouldn't have and I think I really screwed things up, Izzy." Jace's voice was fast and short of breath, she could tell that his anxiety was through the roof as he couldn't keep a calm beat as he walked back and forth.

Izzy stepped forward but Jace didn't stop, his hands were fisting and unfisting in his hair.

"What did you say?" She asked, she was scared Jace was going to hurt himself at this point.

He shook his head and closed his eyes tight, "Well, she tried saying things like 'It's not like we're dating' and I basically said that I didn't ask her to be my girlfriend because deep down I knew that we wouldn't work out. She thinks I'm just playing her, but I'm not, Izzy. I swear I'm not." Jace started hyperventalating. After Aline, she remembered the way he stormed out of the house when he got into an argument with her and Alec, resulting him in getting into a car accident. For days, Jace had said that he wish he would have died. Losing his parents, losing someone he thought he loved and loved him, and then feeling like he was losing his siblings was hard for him. He wasn't good at getting close to people, always afraid that he would lose them eventually.

"I know you're not playing her, she just got freaked out. It's all a huge misunderstanding between you two and you both let your tempers get to you." Isabelle trying consoling him, but Jace was basically pulling his hair out.

"I should have stayed away, you were right, Izzy. I was going to hurt her and I did and I'm so stupid. I hurt someone I love so much and I don't know what to do because she won't listen to me." Jace was still speaking quickly, not realizing that he had just admited that he was in love with Clary.

"You love her?" Isabelle got him to stop pacing. He looked at her, wonder in his eyes.

"What?" He said, unsure of what had just happened.

Izzy stepped up to him, "You just said 'I hurt someone I love so much'. You really love her?" She quoted him.

He looked around, his eyes darting fast from his anxiety.

"Yeah, yeah I love her. But she'll never love me back because she thinks I'm a player who is just using her. She won't look at me, she won't talk to me, and she definitely won't listen to me." Jace rubbed his eyes, Isabelle caught the tears that threatened to fall down his face.

"Jace, it's going to be okay, you both got caught up in the heat of the moment. Things happen like this." She eased.

It didn't help as Jace fisted his hand again and yelled as he punched his hand through the wall by the door. The drywall cumbled as his knuckles impacted the wall. Izzy jumped from the loud noise, Jace froze while his hand was in the wall, staring at it in despair and hurt.

He looked behind him at Izzy, his eyes red and lashes wet.

"I can't lose her too, Izzy." Jace pleaded to his sister.

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 **This was lloooonngggm but very needed. Sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but here you go. I'll start the next chapter after this and try to update tonight. Thank you all so much for the reviews, it really means a lot. I also loved all of your guys' own explanations and thoughts behind Clary and Jace's fight. All alike, but still equally different. It was interesting to read some of your thoughts about each of the characters own reasonings behind their anger. I love reading your own opinions and thoughts about the characters feelings and reasons, idk, it just intrigues me. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, shined a new light and got to see a new POV, even if was mostly just Izzy listening. Thanks for being patient, but now I'll be back to posting mulitple times a day hahah, toodles for now. I'll get started on the next chapter for you all since you were so patient.**


	24. Chapter 24

**I'm realizing that this story went on a lot longer than I originally planned, but I have no intention on making it like, 40 chapters long. Like there isn't going to be any unrealistic events cause sometimes people have HUGE dramatic things going on. So if you think that alien abduction, Godzilla terroizing the city, or someone pulls out a damn gun, then you're at the wrong story hahaa. Sorry, just started thinking about some stories I read that just take a huge turn. I don't want this to be a hella long story. Always rambling, geeze.**

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Clary finally turned off her phone after the fourth missed phone calls from Jace and Isabelle. She wanted to be alone like she usually was.

Curled with her knees to her chest and her head on her pillow, Clary had cried herself until there was no tears left. Her mouth was dry and her head was pounding from the excessive sobbing. Deep in her torn heart, she knew she might have been a little dramatic, but seeing someone she thought cared for her walk out after an ex with wild hair and unable to explain made it hard to believe. It didn't help that it was someone with a background of being such a player and using girls left and right. Her head and her heart were torn, which only made her headache worse.

Aline's words from yesterday rang constantly in her head.

 _"You're up."_

All of it was shady, the whole situation looked bad. With Jace reacting the way he did didn't help, even if Clary did get carried away. Trusting wasn't easy when she didn't grow up with a lot of close friends. She was alone for most of her life after her fathers death when she was an infant. Jocelyn was very distant, couldn't take care of Clary very well and constantly needing to stay with her grandparents because Jocelyn didn't know how to take care of not just Clary, but herself. When Luke came into the picture when Clary was ten, something clicked in Jocelyn, but at first it was always Luke. It took awhile for Clary to finally be able to rely on her mother, but even then, trust was hard to gain after having such a distant family and no real friends.

Simon was her friend though, the only friend she had. But even as close as they became, it was still hard for her to trust him with everything she had. There were a lot of things that Simon didn't know about her that he would never know.

Her eyes were sore everytime she blinked and her throat feeling raspy. Her pillow was soaked with salt water tears and was cold against her cheek, but she didn't care. Why had her heart hurt so much, she wondered. It didn't make sense to her how Jace could make her want to scream and tear her heart in two. She felt sick to her stomach for getting so mad because it was true when she said "It wasn't like we're dating". They weren't. Jace had never asked to be exclusive, but Clary had just assumed.

She smacked her forehead, realizing she was in the same position as Jace was. She assumed they were dating and he was playing her the whole time, just like he had thought him and Aline were dating but she played him. Granted, Clary and Jace had been "together" for only a few weeks, and Aline and him were together for two years. It still hurt just the same. Even being dumped in school didn't feel even _remotely_ as bad to how she felt now, and Jace and her didn't even technically break up.

Clary sighed and rolled in her bed, the cold wet feeling on her pillow transfering to a dry cushy side on her other cheek. She understood she let her anger get the best of her, she made and ass out of herself for jumping to conclusions and Jace reacted like any normal human being, but his words still hurt. " _Maybe that's because I knew deep down that you thought so shitty of me._ "

Clary did think poorly of him when he came out the door. He had been late because he was with Aline. It only made sense to her why he'd choose Aline over her.

They had history together, they dated back then for a reason, what's stopping them now that they're grown up and on their own? Aline was a lot of things that Clary wasn't and it made more sense. Aline was sexy and mature, she had adult curves and was experienced. They already had had a physical connection, Aline was smooth and flirtatious unlike Clary's awkward and stuttering. She had real beauty compared to Clary's childlike face. Clary hadn't grown much since high school. She was short while Aline was tall. She was flat while Aline was voluptuous. Clary dressed in baggy clothes covered in paint while Aline dressed like a successful adult who knew her assets.

Each contrasting part Aline had took another dig at Clary's self esteem. It was easy to find the flaws in Clary's skin like a scar when it came to the polished figure of Aline.

The sound of Clary's front door banging made what little life in her heart leap. At first, she did not move, hoping that whoever was at her door would leave her alone. But the knocking continued for another two minutes. Knowing that whoever was behind the door, they would not stop until they got an answer.

Clary sighed and rolled out of bed, grabbing an oversized cardigan and slipping in on her. The thick soft threads warming her and feeling fuzzy on her bare arms.

At this moment, Clary wished she had a peep hole, but kept the first lock done while she opened the door, the door being stopped with the chain lock.

Isabelle stood at her doorway and looked in surprise as Clary actually opened the door.

"Not a thing." Clary had to clear her throat, the rough sound made it seem like she had smoked a pack of cigarettes in one sitting.

Isabelle looked sad for her heart broken friend, "Clary, please let me in."

Clary shook her head.

"I'm not in the mood right now. I just want to be alone." Clary's voice made her feel so small, so defenseless. But her defenses had been broken since Jace. It was going to be a hard repair.

Isabelle pushed against the door, "Jace is at urgent care, please Clary."

Clary's eyes widened, her heart fearing for Jace's health but her head told her he wasn't her problem.

"Why?" Her voice was flat, her head numbing her heart.

Isabelle hesitated, "He uh... He hit through a wall..." Now Clary _really_ didn't care.

"That's shitty." She started to close the door, the inflicted injury was definitely something that Clary didn't feel bad about. In fact, her heart warmed a little knowing that he had hurt himself enough to need to go to urgent care. Karma.

Isabelle rolled her eyes, "He needs to get stitches. There was a lot of blood."

Clary swallowed, her head arguing with her heart.

Now Clary hesitated.

"He's... He's alright though...?" She asked, feeling silly that she was worried about a boy who had broken her heart.

Isabelle shook her head, "He's a mess."

Clary frowned, "Do you see my face?"

Isabelle pressed into the wall again, the chain lock holding her back.

"Nothing happened, Clary. Aline and Jace, it's all a huge misunderstanding." Izzy explained. Clary sighed angrly.

"Don't fight his battles for him, Izzy." Clary snapped.

Isabelle shook her head again, her hair shaking like tall grass in the wind against her back.

"I'm not fighting his battles, I'm stoping both of yours. Aline came in and _tried_ getting Jace, but damn, I have _never_ seen him decline a sexual offer before but he denined her so hard."

Clary looked down, her chest squeezed.

"Clary, look at me." Izzy waited until Clary lifted her eyes, "Jace couldn't stop talking about you. She kept throwing herself at him, pathetic really, and he just kept saying that they had grown apart. He kept saying that he grew to you and she grew wherever else. I was there through the whole thing, I swear to you."

Clary was skeptical at first, but Izzy always did what she did with a true heart. She wasn't one to defend anyone that didn't deserve it.

"Aline kept touching him and messing up his hair, but he kept pushing her away. It was like a game of cat and mouse. But Clary, he's so mad at himself for letting his anger speak for him, he's never been good at hiding his emotions, you know that. You both let your anger and fear get to you, admit it."

Clary swallowed. The fear that trickled to her heart had made her feel like ice when she saw Jace leave after Aline. The one person she actually started to feel close to, besides Simon, and she had let her scared assumptions control her. She was afraid of getting hurt. Clary was even getting scared after their first kiss together, asking what would happen after the snow had melted, she was terrified of Jace acting like nothing had happened between them.

But he kept his promise, he treated her the way he did when they were snowed in. But now, he kissed her in front of his family, held her hand down the street, called her at night before bed, and even wanted her to meet his parents. He didn't let the snow change their relationship, even when he had said, "The flowers will bloom and the grass will be green but I'll lock the door so we can't leave" was true. He'd lock the door half the time she'd begin to leave his apartment, nearly getting on his knees to beg her to stay with him.

"He's in love with you, Clary." Izzy's voiced pulled Clary back from her thoughts. She stared.

"He isn't." She denied, but her throat started to close.

Izzy smiled softly and shook her head, "He was so mad at himself for what he said to you that he literally told me, 'I hurt someone I love so much'. I called him out on it and he put his cards on the table and said it again. You're both so stubborn and you both build these stupidly tall walls up. You're both so damn afraid to get hurt that you'd rather hurt yourselves. Once something really good starts going for you, you both get paranoid and destroy your happiness before life does it for you, but life isn't going to do that to you."

Clary pulled her sweater tighter around her, as if someone was hugging her body from imploding.

"He doesn't love Aline. Not in the same way as back then, and certainly not in the way he loves you. In fact, he was on his phone while she tried getting into bed with him, he was so over her." Isabelle wasn't a liar, and Clary knew that.

She swallowed. "I was really being dramatic, wasn't I?" Clary looked at her through the crack of the door.

Izzy put her hands on her hips and nodded animatedly, "Duh, you both were. And look at you now. Unlock this door and come to urgent care with me."

Clary contemplated, her eyes still swollen and her mouth was still dry. She closed the door and unlocked it while she slipped on snow boots that were loose from being untied as she left her apartment, her pillow was now dry.

* * *

 **Alright, well, its 1:30 am, I need sleep so I can get up early and write you all a bunch of chapters so I can finish this damn thing! Thank you all again for being so patient with me, thank you all _so_ much for all the reviews, they mean the world to me and I am still in  awe that so many of you actually like this and get so excited when I update. Two chapters in one day after being gone, I'm sorry there isn't more, but lets not forget the day that I posted six chapters in one day lmaoooo. Anyways, goodnight loves, I'll catch your reviews tomorrow.**


	25. Chapter 25

**So, another early morning for me, might take a nap, might not. Idk yet, but yay I'm back updating multiple times!**

* * *

It smelled like plastic rubber gloves and cleaning supplies in the urgent care waiting room. Clary's knees bobbed up and down quickly, playing different scenarios in her head as Izzy and her waited for Jace to finish up in the doctors office. They had been the only two in the small waiting room, feeling like test subjects in the cubicle. It had been a long time considering Izzy dropped him off here, drove to Clary's and talked and then drove back. But then again, Clary had remembered the times she had been in urgent care, waiting longer on the doctors than how long the actual appointment was. The memory of waiting an hour and half for an appointment just for the doctor to look in her ear for twenty seconds just for him to tell her it was slightly ruptured dawned on her. Jocelyn was furious she wasted so much time.

So many conversations played in her head, so many actions displayed, but none of them felt right. Clary just wanted to talk, just wanted to get things cleared up. Things felt rocky and unsure, was Jace mad at her or was he as heartbroken as her?

Clary sipped on a waterbottle, the cold plastic especially icy in her hands and the liquid feeling like heaven for how dehydrated she was. Her eyes were still slightly puffy and sore, but Izzy said to put the cold bottle against her eyes to stop swelling. Izzy explained it was a hangover trick when Clary eyed her.

The doctors room opened at the end of the hall and Clary's heart sputtered while her throat tightened.

First the doctor came out, then Jace. Clary's heart swelled.

Izzy was right when she had said he was a mess. His hair was wild, he already had worry bags that purpled under his golden eyes that looked tired. He had a black brace around his hand and wrapping was seen underneath. Jace's shoulders were slumped and his smile was not full as he gave a tight grin to the doctor in thanks. Skin pale against his darkened gold hair that stuck out in places and curled all over.

The doctor had patted him on the shoulder and said something before he went through another door, leaving Jace by himself. At first he didn't look up, just at the floor. He reminded Clary of a dog caught wrong and with its tail between its legs. But then he looked up and stopped moving once he got to the threshold of the waiting room, his eyes immediately on Clary's. Clary was standing and she even realize how she was able to keep herself.

Her heart pounded and her eyes started to tear up, she was astonished that after a few hours since their fight, he had looked so haggard. Scoffing internally, Clary knew she looked worse.

He stepped to her quickly, ignoring everything around him.

"Clary, I'm so sor-" He started, his voice was rough and his eyes began to fill with color.

"Stop." She put a hand up and he was cut off, "You're an idiot, you know that?" She smiled tightly and gestured to his hand.

He understood her humor and smiled with relief.

"I'm only an idiot for you." He said. Her shoulders relaxed as he stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

His hand tucked behind her ear in her ear, his casted hand touched her jaw very lightly as he lifted her face to his.

It was a soft kiss at first, a simple apology. His lips like silky fire on hers as he nipped at her bottom lip. One hand grabbing his shirt as she pulled him close, the other slithering to his hair before she smacked him lightly by his ear. He pulled away in a startle and stared down at her.

"What was that for?" He cried.

She put her hands on her hips and lifted her brow, "For being stupid."

He rolled his eyes and took her hands, the casted one held hers delicately for his own measures.

"Clary, I'm so sorry, it was a huge misunderstanding and I let my anger get the best of me." Jace said quickly before she could stop him again.

She shook her head, "You know you can't take the full blame, it was just as much my fault."

He smiled, "I mean, I wasn't going to say anything, but..." He joked and Clary glared at him, but she couldn't hold back the smile.

Izzy squealed beside them, they nearly forgot that she was in the same room as them.

"God, this was the worst five hours of my life, are you two all good now?" Izzy crossed her legs and flipped through a magazine.

Jace looked at her in question, and Clary smiled to answer.

"Next time, tell me to shut the hell up." Clary answered.

Jace chuckled, "Next time, tell me to calm the hell down."

Clary tightened her hold and twisted her fingers in his free hand.

"To be honest, I thought this was going to go way differently." Clary admitted. The scenarios in her head played more argumenting, a lot of Izzy interjecting, but in the end, both of them resolving.

"I saw the part of you hitting me making it in there." Jace said, getting a laugh out of Clary.

Izzy stood now, her arms over her chest, "Well, still haven't gotten a thank you, but I need to go before I hurl."

They both looked at her and thanked her, the gratitude clear in their thanks.

Isabelle waved her hand, "I don't know why people don't listen to me more, I'm always right."

Jace rolled his eyes, "Even the time you thought Magnus was going to propose to _you?_ "

"We had a terrific shopping day! He wouldn't stop telling me he loved me." Isabelle huffed before she turned on her heels and headed outside.

Clary started but Jace pulled her hand back with enough force that she stumbled into his arms again, his mouth on hers hard. At first she was stiff and then she melted into his form, fitting into the shape of him like goo before he let go too soon.

"I can't tell you how miserable I feel about yelling at you." He stroked her cheek with his casted hand, fingers lighter than a feather on her cheekbone.

Clary leaned into his hand instinctively, "We'll get better at this. It's only our _first_ fight." She joked.

Jace groaned knowing that both of their stubbornness was dangerous, but they were willing to do what they could to resolve any future arguments.

* * *

 **Lowkey, I kinda hated this chapter. But I really had trouble figuring out how to get them to make up. Also, thank you for so many reviews, I can't believe how much love you've all given this. I'm gonna get started on the next chapter once I publish this.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Let's get it started.**

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Clary sat in the coffee shop as she waited for Jace, lately he was always there before her, but today she decided to beat him to it as she order their regular orders and waited. She had her artwork tucked in her art supplies bag, excited to get back to Jace's apartment and give him his belated Christmas gift. It had been a few weeks since their fight, New Years came and went and the two spent that last minute of the old year and the first minute of the new one in each others arms as they kissed at the club their crew went to. They both felt the whole, "Be my girlfriend/boyfriend" question was childish, they knew that they were exclusively together. They didn't need one of them to ask an actual question to determine their obvious relationship. Jace had introduced Clary as his girlfriend and Clary had introduced Jace as her boyfriend countless times now.

Scrolling through her phone, Clary heard the door to the cafe open, her heart fluttered and she looked to the door to see Jace.

But Aline stood in the doorway, her veins went cold.

"Oh my God, Clary." Aline's voice rose to show excitement, but it was clear that she was thrilled to see Clary _alone_.

"Hi Aline, good to see you." Her heart stayed regular, remembering Izzy explain after getting home from the doctors what kind of person Aline was back in high school. _"She always made things seem worse than they actually were. A lot of breakups because she would get guys caught in a sticky situation."_ Izzy had explained her opinion of Aline for quite a while, a lot of harsh names were thrown to Aline.

Aline frowned a little, but her blue eyes glowed, "I see that you're alone. Things didn't quite work out with Jacey?" She asked.

Clary opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when the door opened. They both looked to find Jace beeline straight to Clary before he grabbed her face and kissed her gently. His brace was off his hands and his eight stitches taken out and pinked as a fresh new scar. Clary smiled against his mouth just before he pulled away.

"You beat me here, how rude." He said quietly. She was the only thing he saw, and it elated her to the core.

Aline cleared her throat and Jace looked surprised as he finally realized that they were indeed, in a coffee shop with other people around. Especially surprised that Aline was standing there.

"Oh, Aline, my apologies for interrupting." He smiled at her before he kissed Clary's cheek and took the seat next to her.

Aline looked away, seeming bored. "I was just surpised that Clary was alone, thought you two had ended things."

He smiled at her, "I know you did, I only recieved about twelve texts and calls from you. Sorry I didn't respond," Jace slung his arm around Clary's shoulders and kissed her neck, she giggled and blushed at his gesture, "I was a little too busy to respond."

Clary's name was called as her order came up, and Jace touched her hair before he went to fetch their coffee before adding some extra flavor to Clary's. He knew she liked hers extra sweet.

Aline shifted her weight, "Well, I'm glad you two worked things out."

Clary smiled with pride, "Stronger than ever."

Alined held back her eye roll, but it was clear she was annoyed.

"I'll be off then, good to see you." Her sincerity was out the door before she was as she turned away and left the coffee shop. Clary realized that Aline hadn't even purchased anything, seeming as though she only entered the cafe to pester Clary.

Jace returned and watched Clary stand as she grabbed her bag.

Jace got close to her ear as his lips tickled her ear, "Ding dong, the witch is dead."

* * *

"Oh, I almost forgot, I wanted to give you your Christmas gift." Clary crawled out of Jace's bed and avoided his laptop that sat in their laps. It had gotten dark as they spent the day watching movies and cuddling, something they usually did on off days. Izzy wasn't home, so they left the bedroom door open as Clary slipped by and went to her bag. For Christmas, Jace had gotten Clary a new pack of brushes, all different sizes and types, as well as a necklace with a green emerald shining at the opening of her collar bones. Izzy on the other hand, had bought her new clothing from Victoria's Secret, less full panties and more lacy lingerie. Clary had to express that she still was not having sex, but Izzy waved her away.

Clary pulled out paintboard and looked at it, making sure she hadn't missed anything or that is was ruined. She was finally able to capture the image she wanted and made it perfect.

She held it so that the picture faced her and away from Jace as she reentered his room, he looked excited and had placed the laptop on his nightstand.

"It's not much, but I thought that since you keep all of my bad sketches, you'd appreciate my good one." She teased him and gestured toward the stack of images that Clary had tried crinkling and throwing away.

He smiled as she took a deep breath and flipped it around.

It was an image of Jace's parents, much like the one he had a photo of but this time, Jace was apart of the photo. It truly looked like someone had taken the picture recently, even the a thumb showed at the bottom like the photo of Jace's parents.

In the picture, Jace stood between his parents and smiled widely, chipped tooth and dimples as he smiled at the "camera". Clary had added a wrinkle or two to his parents, making it seem more realistic. The original photograph must have been taken just before Jace was even concieved, so she added the slight age to them as if they were still alive. His father still looked down, but now at Jace as he stood close to Jace, his mother looking the same direction and laughing, adding more lines to her smile so that she had aged only a few years. She kept the same joyful youth that Clary thought his mother would have even at the age of ninety. Her eyes glistening and her smile wide as she laughed. Seeing the three of them together made it clear that they were a family, the resemblence that Jace had compared to his fathers and his mothers was striking. All three looking like angels straight from heaven as their golden eyes, nearly white hair, and rosey cheeks made even Clary envious. Jace's mothers features were still delicate as his fathers bone structure was strong contrasted hers. Jace in the middle, prideful and joyous as he complimented both types of facial features, sharing his mother and his father in his smile.

Jace was silent, his mouth open and his eyes wide as he stared at the painting. Clary began to feel anxious as the silence stretched on.

"I messed it up, didn't I..." Clary felt horrid, ruining something so important to Jace.

He blinked finally and looked at her.

"I love you." He breathed.

Clary was now the one staring as her body froze. The only time she knew of Jace's feelings was when Izzy had told her what he said after their fight, and she thought that her heart would leap out of chest _then_. Hearing Jace say those words made her heart feel like it would burst.

He swallowed, "Y-you don't have to say it back," He climbed out of bed and walked over to her, afraid he had ruined the moment, "I-I just... this is so amazing Clary. It looks so real." He was hesitant to touch the painting, afraid that he would ruin the perfect moment captured on the board. Clary still hadn't spoken, in shock that he had confessed his feelings for her.

He took the picture from her hands and set it on his desk before he pulled her in his arms, her body hard at first before she melted to the feeling of his hot breath in her hair.

"It's absolutely stunning, Clary. It really _does_ look like someone had just taken the picture. It's the best thing anyone has ever given me." He held her tight, the sound of his fast heartbeat like drums in her ear and his body was hot against hers. He pulled away enough so that he could look at her, his golden eyes glowing and sparkling as he gazed at her.

He kissed her lightly, just a slow peck before he pulled away.

"I love you, too." Clary finally spoke, her voice steady as she said it. She was afraid she would crack but the words came out smooth and true.

Jace looked at her before he smiled at her, his fingers touching her cheek and then her jaw.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him fully, Jace's hands holding her face as he kept her there. There was no escaping for either of them as the held each other close. Their mouths moved in synchronization now, kisses moving less desperate, but now hot and slow. He turned her and held her back with one hand as his other came down to the bed to steady them while he placed Clary on the mattress. Her hands were in his hair now as she finally became the same level as him, locks curled around her fingertips like satin and her other hand gripping his T-shirt. He lifted her and moved her twice, his arm circled around her waist as he finally positioned them at the top of the bed. He poured all of his love into his kiss and she did the same.

Clary's heart raced and her skin felt hot, but Jace's was hotter against hers as his hands found her bare stomach under her cropped sweater. His skin was silk on hers as he held her hips and deepened himself to her. She pulled on his shirt until he peeled it off, the soft sound of it falling to the ground startled her, but she didn't stop kissing him. Her shirt was above her bellybutton, and his bare skin on hers felt even more magical. Jace didn't rush Clary or push her, he always made a move and stopped before going through with it. His fingers touched the elastic of her bra, tickling her ribs as he asked to remove her shirt. She pulled away and crossed her arms to pull it over her head.

He breathed and pulled on her hair, their kissing becoming more passionate as his wet mouth kissed her jaw and then nipped at her neck. Her knees tightened around his hips in delight as he kissed her favorite spot just below her ear.

Gripping the waist band of his sweat pants, he soon kicked them off, she giggled as it got caught around his ankle and he shook it off. He laughed with her when he became free, half a true laugh, the other a devilish laugh as he growled back to kiss her. Her nails raked on his back and he shuddered above her.

Clary wanted every part of Jace, his heartbreaking past, his sometimes short temper, his flirtatious side, and his entire being. Clary loved Jace, and her heart cracked her ribs from expanding and her stomach fluttered, her veins rushed and her skin tingled. Every part of Jace was hers and she couldn't have been happier.

She grabbed his hand that had began pulling her bra strap on and guided it over the elastic, down the curve on her waist until it was at her pants that hung low on her hips. She felt his heartbeat thud aggressively as she pulled on the string of her joggers, she felt high from effecting him. His lips didn't stop and his free hand held himself so that all of his weight wasn't on her, but she wanted all of his weight, she wanted to be envelopped by him.

He pulled at her pants as she did the same, lifting himself so she could be free of the cotton. She was very away of her now matching bra and underwear from Victoria's Secret. Both black with white bows and lace. Her underwear high on her hips making her look curvy. Jace stopped and looked at her, his eyes touching every part of her as he gulped.

"You're so beautiful, God, I love you." He pressed his face in her hair as his lips touched her ear. She shivered and he got closer to her. He thought she was cold from being so exposed, but really she shuddred at his low voice, her entire being on fire as his love made her ignite.

She pulled his face away so that she could look at him, her finger curled around his hair that dangled over his eyes.

"I want you." She whispered as she touched his lips, red and swollen from their kisses.

Jace stared and his eyes widened.

She looked him in his hesitant eyes.

"I love you, and I want only you." She felt like she was in a terrible romance movie, but the words she spoke couldn't have been more right.

He gulped, "Are you... are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured, Clary."

She smiled and shook her head, touching his jaw with the tips of her fingers. Delicate as to not break the moment.

"I've never been more sure in my life. I love you, Jace." She kissed him gently at first, his hand on her thigh had gripped her flesh.

"I love you, Clarissa." Jace spoke breathlessly before kissing her fully.

The night sky was clouded overhead as snow started to fall from the sky. Time passed as they loved each other while the snow covered the ground outside. Silence in the air as the snow took up all the sound. The cars had halted and the people stayed in, knowing not to ruin the moment between them. It wouldn't have mattered if it kept snowing throughout the night or if the sun came up the next morning to melt the fresh ice. The flowers could have bloomed and the grass could have showed green but they would still locked the door and pretended that they the doors had been snowed.

* * *

 **Well... I think... that just about covers it. _The End._ **

**Lowkey, kind of want to write a rated M of their little love scene, but idk yet. You tell me, should I write their details or just leave it up to your imagination?**

 **Thank you all so much for the amazing praise, suggestions, and love you've all given me. I get so excited reading your thoughts and opinions. I've always had a hard time sharing my writing, but you all have truly helped me gain confidence in something I'm passionate about. I _do_ want to write more Clace stories, but I'm not 100% sure what to make of a plot. But I love TMI and all characters and such belong to the original author. This was fun, it was nice to distract myself. I still have a week and a half until I'm back at school so I have some time to kill. **

**I can't believe that this became so long, and I'm sorry if you were just in it for the short ride, but each chapter isn't long. But yeah, I know some viewers were afraid it was going to be sssuuuuppppeeerrr dragged out and long, but I don't like when that happens either.**

 **Again, let me know if you wanted the end scene detailed in rating M, cause I'm kinda down for that. Don't know how good it'll be because... well, I wouldn't know tbh. But it's worth a shot, right? Also, let me know if there is any plot in particular that you would like to read. I know that some people don't feel confident in their writing but want to read something they have in mind. I can't draw well at all, but I still have ideas for art that I'd like to see, you know?**

 **Maybe now I can finally edit my YouTube video for this week haha (subscribe to my channel for mediocre videos every week lmaoooo). Follow my social media, its all in my bio on my profile, I'm active on all of it. Thank you all again, your comments and suggestions mean the world to me, and I'll catch you guys next time.**

 **-RallyAli 3**


	27. END AUTHORS NOTE-OTHER PART

**I HATE CHAPTERS THAT ARE AUTHORS NOTES, but I mean... the story has ended so at least I didn't put any authors notes between chapters. But I WROTE A RATED M STORY SPECIFICALLY FOR THE END SO IF YOU WANT TO READ IT IT'S UPLOADED. It's just some steamy sex scene because every story should end with a sex scene. IT IS RATED M and I don't really know if it's going to stop anyone anyways, like if there is some sort of age thing that fanfic does, but yeah.**

 **Snowed is over and the Rated M scene is named Locked. So, if you liked my stuff, by all means go for it. Anyways, I think I have an idea of what to write next but I think I'mma take a very short break and start writing a new story. It's just a good distraction but, yeah. Watch out for me cause I think I'm going to start a new story in the next day or two. Thank you again for your reviews and I'll catch you guys in Locked or any of my other new stuff. ILLLYYYY**


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